Nothing is Eternal
by Zaru
Summary: A man can have anything if he is willing to sacrifice... When Crown Prince Thexan of the Eternal Empire of Zakuul is slain by Arcann, his father Emperor Valkorian intervenes to save his life and hides him away. Now, three thousand years later, he comes to a galaxy in chaos. The Old Republic x Sequel Trilogy/TFA. Co-written with IKnowNothing of Sufficient Velocity and Juubi-k
1. Chapter 1

I, nor Juubi-k, nor IKnowNighting do not own Star Wars. They belong to Disney and BioWare.

* * *

Finally. It was done.

The Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire have bent their knees. The proof was in the tokens his sons have brought him.

From Arcann, a worn down flag of the Republic along with two lightsabers, from prominent Jedi Masters no doubt.

From Thexan, a similar flag from the Empire with two well designed sabers. He can tell they were from a Sith Lord with how the Dark Side seemed to still taint the handles.

Deep down, the Eternal Emperor Valkorian knew this would come. He gave them his armies. Controlled the Eternal Fleet at their suggestion in conjunction to the fleets the Twin Princes had commanded. And it had bore fruit.

Surrender from both the Senate, and what scant few remained surviving on the Dark Council. Their seats of power either blockaded or in ruin. And many other words in a similar position. The Star Fortresses will be in position within days, to keep watch over the defeated worlds and ensure they would not raise a hand. The Tributes will be a good boon to the Eternal Empire of Zakuul.

So he turned around. He expected this. After all, his sons had the best training. The greatest fleet ever built. The finest battalions of Force Users ever in the Knights of Zakuul. All at their disposal. And they met expectations.

After all, they had risen from the dirt. And their birthright would be this conquest.

For the man who was once a Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vitiate, it would be a footnote to his plan. Everything has ever since Marka Ragnos appointed him as a Sith Lord. When he fooled the Sith he 'saved' into becoming sacrifices for his immortality. When he created the very Sith Empire he built and reigned as Emperor for years.

All of it came to this.

…

Ahhh…

The Dark Side was strong in him. The weaker, but the most ambitious. He could hear the servos of his artificial arm move, and the Dark Side within him begin to boil over.

Valkorian did not move. He knew what was coming, even if he couldn't forsee the future.

He heard Arcann leap and activate his lightsaber, and the tug of the force pull him back, and the Eternal Emperor turned around to witness the duel. Brother vs Brother until Arcann, in his moment of increased power given to him by years of hatred and neglect, slice open Thexan's stomach.

Valkorian walked, silently as a wraith towards the brothers. Thexan was fading, and the Dark Side disappeared from Arcann as quickly as it came, and they held each other by the forearm, until the brother in black fell limp. He stared down at them, and his eyes met Arcann's.

Even with the eyes of a scared and regretful child, no longer possessing the eyes of a hardened warrior and battlefield commander, Valkorian had seen enough.

After all, Arcann displayed the one thing his brother, nor even his sister could not possess.

Ambition. It is their light. And so it shall be their guide. Thexan and Vaylin wandered blindly in the darkness, but it was Arcann, the runt, who found it.

And he spoke to him, for the first time in a tone he could recall only using a few times. Valkorian offered his hand.

"Come with me… Son."

Arcann's eye rose up, and he stood up, accepting his father's grasp. He turned to face his creation. His finest masterpiece.

"One day, all of this will be yours, Arcann." Valkorian said with his hands behind his back. "Do not blame yourself for what has happened here. For you have found power, and you have grasped it."

Arcann remained silent, looking down and out beyond the Eternal Throne, at the numerous ships and cruisers circling and commuting between the towering spires of Zakuul. The Eternal Fleet, like a grid, looming in the distance.

"I shall you teach personally, how to wield the power you possessed that you used to strike down your brother." The Emperor oiled. "But first you calm yourself. Go, return to your quarters. Rest."

Arcann looked back at the unmoving form of Thexan, eye wrought with regret once more before turning back to Valkorian. "Yes Father…" And he turned and left, walking towards Thexan.

"I will handle Thexan. He will have died honorably in battle." Valkorian had his hands behind his back as he walked towards the retreating man in white. The man who had a droid-limb and a Skytrooper mask to hide his burnt scars looked back, saying nothing before walking away.

So easily manipulated. The first sign of love and he's eating from his hand like an Akk Dog. Ambitious yes, but foolish? Most definitely.

Valkorian saw him leave before looking down at Thexan, an exhale leaving his nose.

What a pity.

Between the children, Vaylin had the greatest potential in the Force. Arcann was the better stronger duelist and the most determined, but it was Thexan who was almost perfect.

Key word being almost. He cared too much about his siblings and the wellbeing of his soldiers to truly become a capable ruler. Serving Zakuul? The Eternal Prince is meant to be served, to be given. Never to lean to the people. That was Thexan's folly.

And it cost him his-

Life?

Thexan stirred, even with the slash to his stomach… he lived, groaning and Valkorian raised an eyebrow.

So he survived…

Perhaps he can be of use. He reached out his hand and he channeled the Force, aiming it to slowly seep into his dying son.

Seeing him gasp and squirm made Valkorian smirk. So he is compatible…

Interesting…

Yes. He will be of use.

But Arcann must not know. It would jeopardize this new plan formulating in the former Dark Lord of the Sith's head.

Valkorian chuckled and called for a group of Skytroopers and a shuttle. There is an abandoned facility deep in the jungle that used to house prisoners in carbonite. With some of his power inside him, Thexan would be able to live in a barely-powered facility trapped in carbonite.

Empires will rise and fall, but his Eternal Empire will suffer no such fate.

But… It wouldn't hurt to have insurance.

* * *

AN:

Well now, I live. Should be clear if some of you follow me on Sufficient Velocity, where I am far more active. I do come back here often, but it is out of nostalgia more than anything. I rarely find good works, but when I do I definitely need to catch up on reading them.

Anyways, here is a lovely collab written by me, my good friend Juubi-k, and another fine fellow on Sufficient Velocity known as IKnowNothing. As you can see, the Zakuulian Knight from the Knights of the Eternal Empire trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic, Thexan, is the brother of Arcann, one of the antagonists of KOTFE before he becomes your ally(depending on your choices) in Knights of the Eternal Throne. He was killed...

Supposedly.

This story will be taking place in the future, obviously in the sequel trilogy. Speaking of...

I liked the Force Awakens, and I thought Rey should have been fixed up but I enjoyed everything else. And then holy fuck The Last Jedi came and ruined almost everything. Finn's character arc was reset and he's stuck with Shrek. Snoke was wasted. Luke was treated like trash. Leia memed. And Poe was crushed underfoot for the sake for a terribly written character in Holdo. Ironically, I had little issue with Rey and Kylo, and found the 'nobody' twist amazing, along with Kylo surpassing Vader in the respect of him becoming the ruler and not Sidious/Snoke's attack dog.

Anyway, as you can tell, we will be going a bit differently from TLJ canon, as Thexan will have a role to play.

Hope you all stick around, as I will be updating this. That you can bank on.

Which means all my other works are still up for adoption, including Kill! Save! Liberate! sadly. So if anyone wants to adopt my fics, talk to me and I cna act as creative consultant and even beta.


	2. Chapter 2

**Outside the Limian System, Open Space**

It took him awhile, but Han finally realized what he didn't like about the ship.

Beyond the fact that it wasn't the Falcon.

No, what he didn't like about this new ship was the fact that it was so…

Quiet.

He hadn't noticed it at first, not when they actually had a crew with them to help in the job. But, hunting Rathtar's required the help of a certain type of people. The kind that didn't bother looking past the reward on the application.

Honestly, Han didn't bother remembering half of their names.

And he had lost enough friends that he didn't have much sleep left to lose.

Now that it was just him and Chewie, and the silence started to sink in, it got a lot harder to focus on the job.

Or ignore the reason he was taking it in the first place.

Sparks and smoke fills the small pilots cabin, knocking Han out of his thoughts faster than a blaster shot.

 _Oh what now?!_

Han forced himself up from his chair, and on the way he heard something crack. Ignoring the sound, and the pain, he pulls down the metal panel. The smoothest smuggler in three system was met with the sight of a burning circuit board and compressor.

The third time this week alone.

Han grumbles something under his breath, he didn't know what he said, but it probably wasn't safe for children.

He slams the panel back up "Chewie! The circuits fried!"

A resounding roar echoed through the corridors.

"I know it's the third time!"

Another roar.

"Why do you think the payment is going to be a better ship!?"

Han tore out the smoking cricket, and the irritating humming shut itself off. The lights also flickered, but the ship was still flying so it couldn't have been to important.

He sat back down in the pilot's chair just as the cockpit door opened. A mass of fur and aged muscle walks through. The greatest partner a smuggler could have took his seat in the copilot's chair as he glanced at the destroyed circuits in Han's hand. The Wookie tilted his head, right before he opened the glove compartment and showing Han a perfectly functioning circuit board.

Han blinked, looking between the board and his friend. Chewie let out a low, soft grunt as he handed over the board. Han took it and set it to the side.

"I remembered we had that."

Chewie just rolled just eyes. Han held up a finger but just let it fall to his side, he didn't want to start arguing with Chewie of all people.

The Wookie leans forward and takes the controls away from Han. A few years ago, Han might have stopped him. Now, he sighed in relief from the fact that he could just rest for the rest of the trip.

A few minutes past, and the silence came crawling back. Chewie glanced to the side, watching his friend gingerly touch the hilt of his blaster.

He let out a small roar, making Han glance over.

"It's going to be easy Chewie, we deliver the cargo and take the ship and we'll be out of the system before they know the locks are on a timer."

The wookie grunted unsurely.

"It's nothing we haven't done a million times."

A even weaker grunt sounded out.

"What do you mean they'll be ready? When have I ever not delivered what they asked for?"

Chewie looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't say anything.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Beside, it's not like they want to kill us. There are still some people who don't want to shoot me you know."

Chewie looks at Han, raising a single furry eyebrow. He grunts and Han glared daggers at his friend.

"Just keep flying, I'll check on the cages." He spat out.

Chewie nodded, but kept everything else to himself as Han exited the cockpit. The doors slide open. It only took a few seconds, like they always did. But they were starting to feel a lot longer. Han took off at a brisk walking pace, the sound of his boots echoing through the hallways.

It made him walk faster, and that in turn only made the sound worse.

By the time that he got to the Rathtar cages, it felt like he had been walking for an eternity. His back was killing him, and his feet were starting to ache as well.

Ignoring both sensations, Han leaned down and opened up the floorboard, revealing the fuses. Slowly, he made his way down and sat down for no other reason to make himself more comfortable. A few years ago, he could still rest his entire body on one leg for support.

Now… he rather not try.

" _Man is this how that old coot felt while we were running around a trash compactor?_ " Han thought.

He tentatively checked over the fuses, careful not to trip any of them and make any stupid mistake.

Like letting the Rathtar's out of their cages.

Or locking him in the room.

Honestly Han didn't know what was worse.

Well, he did, obviously, but he'd rather not stick around to admit that.

Everything seemed to be in order, so Han stretched his legs and made his way out of the underground. He barely took the time to make sure the panel was properly over the hatch before he started to head back to the cockpit.

Once again, he was left to listen to the sound of his own feet against the metal.

And once again, he wanted to hear the sound of smaller feet run across them.

The ship lurched, and Han nearly stumbled to the floor again. He heard Chewie roar, and he understood.

They were finally at the refueling station.

He turned around and headed towards the docking bay. As he walked, he made sure that he had enough credits to pay for the fuel. He found the extra money they had got for the job, counting each chip perfectly. As he did, he frowned. He checked again, same result.

Did he really have so little extra change?

Well, they didn't need to go far, so half would have to do for now.

Besides, he knew the owner, so he could at least give him a break.

He reached the bay, and Chewie lowered the doors just in time so that he didn't even need to break stride.

The door opened, revealing the landscape surrounding the ship. The port itself was just a small joint on the surface of some planet called Zakuul. Chewie guided the ship into the port like only a practiced pilot could. As such, Han had no worries that he would touch the ground smoothly. It gave him just enough time to catch the sound of a tree snapping as it attempted to stop the fall of a small spire. The forest rustled with energy that you wouldn't even know was there, the wildlife running away from the crash.

A shame too, it was a decent antique that made the descent to the port more bearable. Apparently, the spire was once part of an empire that would have given the First Order and the Republic a run for it's money.

That is, if you believed the old stories.

If you did, you would know that the rusted and broken spires in the distance were coms and watchtowers. The mossed over round structures were once temples and homes. The rivers would have to cut through streets and fallen buildings. Only the few, strong spires still remained from what Han could see. Everything else beyond that was a rolling hill of humid trees and swampy floors. But, no idiot would bother going past the environmental shields. If they did, they'd have to deal with swamp rancor and other monsters that called the supposedly ancient empire home. If he were any other man, Han would have shrugged the stories as folklore for tourists and archaeologists like everyone else.

But, he had seen that some stories weren't as crazy as he once thought.

The ship landed in the middle of a doid made clearing, utterly devoid of trees and swamp. The shields stopped any exhaust that might have hurt any of the trees. So by the time that Han could walk out and his boots could touch the ground, the engines were off and the only thing signaling the ship was even there was it's presence. Han was slightly impressed, decent shields to keep out that level of exhaust.

The port barely had a dozen ships parked in the available space. With those numbers, you could barely call it a port. More like a quick stop. It was barely big enough to have what the ship needed, and that made it perfect for what he and Chewie needed. Han didn't stop walking to admire the same faded paint that they put on the walls of every fueling station this side of the system. It looked just as rusty and broken down as the spires in the distance. The smokestack looked ready to fall over, and the door wasn't kept open with a generator, but a shoe. That was fine, in fact, it was an even better indication that this was the right place.

The one thing that did manage to catch Han's eye and keep his attention for a few moments, was the prestien First Order poster hanging along the side.

Han found himself walking a little faster after seeing that.

He made his way inside the station, ignoring the smell and the many interesting eyes that he was getting from the other residence. A few of them put their hands, or claws to their hips. Han just pulled his jacket back, showing his holster.

The appendages went back to where ever they were before Han went in.

A bulbous old jablogian eyed Han as he approached the counter. He slowly turned his massive bulbous belly around so that he could show his full massive size to Han.

"Han Solo." He said.

Han nearly stopped walking, but he didn't. He spoke with the tone of someone who knew exactly what they were dealing with.

Nevertheless, Han put on his famous smile "Azmigain, is your father in?"

"He's dealing with our more appropriate customers." The red blob drawled.

Han shook his head in feigned sadness "Then give him my love will yah? Until then, I need some fuel."

"Doesn't every smuggler?" Azmigain asked as he tapped his consol.

"Two thousand for a full job."

Han grimaced slightly "I'll take a half job then."

Azmigain nodded "Then it will be two thousand."

Han gawked "You just said a full job is two thousand!"

"This isn't for this trip, this is for paying for your ditching my father after the job on Ryloth."

Han pinched the bridge of his nose, holding back a headache "I had to get out of there, the Twi'leks would have shot our ship out of the air if we stayed."

"Which means you'll be more than happy to pay extra for this little service."

"Azmigain, I thought I was a friend of the family? You're going to make me pay two thousand while I'm on a job?"

"I'm this close to making it four thousand Solo," Azmigain growled "So pay or I'll pay someone else to take whatever your cargo is."

Han wanted to protest, but he knew the sound of a plasma blaster powering up when he heard it.

Or seven, if he needed a distinct reminder.

He stared down Azmigain, but the red blob held his own far better than he remembered his old slug doing. The kid had grown up.

Sighing, Han put down the credits, and the sound of blasters slipping back to their holsters.

"Was that so hard Solo?" Azmigain asked.

Han just rolled his eyes before storming out of the port. He all but kicked open the doors to the outside and headed back to the ship. As he got up the docking bay ramp, the port droids had already hooked up the fuel lines. He got into the ship and the doors slowly closed behind Han.

This time, the distant sounds of ships and workers echoed through the ship. It made the walk go by faster than it had in months. He got to the cockpit and took a seat next to Chewie. The wookie looked at his pockets and grunted in question.

"We're getting fuel." Han said, the slight bitterness in his tone clear for the wookie to hear.

So, Chewie didn't bother saying anything. The two waited for the fuel lines to be taken away, and the second that they did, Han took the controls. The ship existed the port a little faster than most would. He tapped the coordinates, and let the autopilot take over, pushing the speed as fast as he could.

Right now, he really wanted this job to be over.

(X)

Just something to chew on. Figured the prologue wouldn't offer much in the way of something memorable. So here is Han and Chewie screwing around before TFA.


	3. Chapter 3

The shuttle took to the air before Han suddenly felt a lurch in the ship's engines and began to inspect what was going on. Chewie was giving out roars of distress.

"I know!" He began to flip switches and check the gauges, seeing the fuel gauge at full yet the ship was losing altitude. The old smuggler took the handles and guided his ship, taking off auto pilot, back towards the rainforest of Zakuul.

Azmigain was going to pay. They got the wrong fuel compatibility!

"Hang on! I see a soft spot!" Han began flipping switches and pressing buttons as several jets came out of the ships front, and an additional set of wings emerged. And the shuttle began to glide as the war hero spotted an open area in the rainforest. Right in a bog too.

He made sure he was buckled, and checked to see if the Wookie was too as they descended and glided down as Han braced for impact.

They skidded along the shallow water before smashing into mud and lights and klaxons going off and Han came to, feeling shaken up in his seat. He lifted up his head and saw the windshield was undamaged, but covered in mud. He unbuckled his seat, looking over and patting the wookie. Chewbacca barked lightly.

"You okay?" He asked, the Wookie gave off an affirmative grunt as Han nodded, going to the door and walking at an angle. He tapped some controls, the door sliding before stopping. The old smuggler then began to push his way out, sliding the door and stumbling into the swamp.

"I'm going to kill him." Han growled, seeing the shuttle lodged in the mud, taking on water. Chewie came out shortly after with his Bowcaster. "Get the emergency kit. This ship is shot." Han waded through the water, checking the thrusters and grimacing at the sight.

So much for that. They will have no choice but to commandeer a ship at the outpost.

Han looked around, taking stock on where they are. They were in a swamp, the ruined spires towering in the background and along with several hills, served as the only geographical landmarks of note. The closest thing that could serve as a high point to give them a better view of the area was a nearby plateau.

"We go over there, get a clue on where the outpost is, and go straight from there." Han pointed, and the Wookie walked beside him, weapon in hand and pack strung over his back. "Alright, let's get moving."

And over the next several hours was nothing but misery. Humidity, mosquitos, oversized spider-like creatures called Iknayids, wild Nexu-like creatures called Mawvorrs, and that was only to start. Thankfully, Chewie's Bowcaster packs a mean punch and Han still has his trigger finger.

They got to the foot of the plateau, the old man panting as he rested against a boulder. "Okay… let's take a break…"

The wookie roared in acknowledgement as Han slowly slid to his backside. He wiped the sweat from his brow, and leaned his head against the rock.

How did it come to this?

The job was going as well as it could, then a red blob decided that he wanted to break out of a perfectly good deal. That's what stings the most. Han didn't even swindle the man, he paid up front, like any good deal maker before him.

But how did he let himself get conned into bad fuel?

He hadn't fallen for a bad fuel switch in… ever actually.

… he was getting old, too old for this.

Chewie roared and Han felt his head nod in agreement. Who the hell was he kidding? He's been to old for this for a long time.

Chewie roared again, and hand rolled his eyes.

"I get it Chewie, I get it. We'll get go-"

He stopped himself when Chewie's roar took on a harsh edge. Han shot to his feet like he was twenty years younger and he saw Chewie taking off in the direction of the spires.

Then, he heard the trees start to break.

The bad feeling that he always seemed to get shot through him so fast he didn't even have time to say it. The Wookie used his bulk to crash through the underbrush and Han wasted no time following him. He slapped tree vines and leaves out of his way, running as fast as his old joints could carry him.

Then, he made the mistake of looking back.

A giant Swamp Slug. The creature was a mass of thick white muscle that slammed into a tree, snapping it in half like a twig. It's two glossy yellow eyes trained on Han, and they narrowed as its maw dripped with sizzling saliva. Twin tentacles shot out from it's back, latching onto anything and everything that it could. It tore plants from the ground, knocked trees aside in its single-minded pursuit of new food.

Chewie roared in defiance, no that was just a scream to get Han's attention.

Han turned his head around and for the first time in his life, he thanked the fact that he was blind the last time he was on the menu.

The thankfulness left him the second he realized that Chewie had stopped moving.

And that he was going too fast to stop.

He tried, but he wasn't the kid, and he didn't have help to pull him aside this time. He hit Chewie as hard as a spriting old man could. It only hurt him, Chewie probably didn't feel a thing. But the surprise and his position, unfortunately, outdid raw wookie muscle.

Chewie stumbled forward with Han at his back, and both of them felt gravity take over. Weightlessness and wind blocked out every other feeling as the two pilots fell down the small ravine that they, unfortunately, found themselves in front of.

Instinct forced itself to the surface, making Han spread his arms and legs out in the classic formation. It wouldn't have done him any good, he knew that. He didn't have a shield to take the fall, he didn't have a suit to fly him out.

What he did have, was a best friend.

A best friend who could still watch his back no matter what they got themselves into. Han felt Chewie grab his jacket with one hand, and reached for the edge with the other. The two of them jerked, their momentum suddenly slowed by the perfect combination of luck and skill as Chewie finds one good branch.

It snapped, and Chewie lost his grip on Han.

The next thing that Han knew, he was spitting out moss and dirt. But he was still breathing, so there was at least a silver lining. He dragged himself to his feet, whipping off his face and scanning the area for a mass of fur. Chewie, thankfully, was near enough that Han didn't need to worry. The wookie pushed himself off the ground, dusting off his fur as he gave Han a sideways look.

"Sorry," the old smuggler said.

The wookie took the apology, rubbing his arm as Han took stock of the area. The area was little more than a mossed over cave entrance. Looking up, it was at least, sixty feet up. Might not have killed them, but Han wouldn't have been running afterwards.

He heard a roar, and the Swamp Carigor went straight over the edge just as they did. Han jumped out of the way, feeling the ground shake as the beast hit the ground with a slam. Adrenaline kicked through his system yet again and he took off once more.

This time, he was in front.

And he started for the only available exit to this situation, the cave.

Every other time that he was forced to run away from something out of his pay grade, he was always met with an exit. Or, failing that, it would be too small for the slug to follow and they would have a chance to just shooting it full of blaster fire till it stopped moving.

Hopefully, he still had a bit of that old luck left.

Chewie roared his disapproval.

"Like you have a better plan!?" he screamed.

They ducked into the cave, letting the rock swallow them as the slug charged after them. Han ran down the smooth rock floors, following the path as he went deeper into the cave. Lucky enough, the ceiling above had a single winding curve, letting the edges of sunlight sneak through, illuminating the cave space enough to let Han see something that shouldn't be in a cave.

Gold.

It was mossed over, but no smuggler worth his salt didn't know the metal on sight. If it were any other day, Han would have been grinning from ear to ear. Now the only thing that he could get through the panic was a single question.

What was gold doing on an old planet like this?

He took another step on his road, and the end of the cave came into sight. A giant ornate black door towered over everything in the small cave. It was covered in gold, depicting three figures. On the bottom, a white warrior stood guard. His face was half human, half machine. On top, a greying old man in white robes that held out his hands, as if he was declaring the splendour of the two below him. The third figure was a man in black armour, his face obscured by the rotting of time and his hands crossed over his chest.

In front of the door, several small holes were drilled into the ground, and Han could swear that he saw wires in them. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something on the wall next to him.

A blinking red dot.

What happened next made Han question what was real, and what wasn't.

The walls of the cave split open, revealing hidden doors mined into the very stone. Dozens opened up, and then they stepped out.

Knights, or at least, that's the first word that popped into his head to describe them.

Their armour was a rusted gold, the once pristine metal stripped of its glory through the passage of time. Despite losing its grandeur, the gold shaped itself around them through a helmet, breastplate and skirt. The parts that weren't covered by the armour were surrounded by light grey and black leather. Around the waist was a belt with the design of three trapezoids coming together to make a single triangle.

One marched out of each hole, forcing a dozen in total. As one, they reached towards their back and clicked their wrists. Dome-shaped tower shields expanded from the armour on their forearms. They stomped, moving as one into a defensive position, making a wall of metal between the giant door and themselves. They reached behind and brandished heavy blaster rifles.

"Chewie down!"

The old man dove to the side, out of the slug's path and hopefully, under the range of fire. He felt something hit the ground near him, and then those gold knights opened fire.

On the slug.

Chunks of white meat exploded off the beast, drawing a roar of pain and rage. It's yellow eyes narrowed, and it charged with renewed vigour at the gold knights, mercifully forgetting about Han and Chewie.

The gold knights kept firing, right up until the moment that it rammed into them with the force of a crashing speeder. The metal of their shields dented and cracked, sending three of them flying and crashing against the stone walls.

None of them survived the impact.

Their arms split from their bodies, sending sparks of power cascading along the ground before abruptly stopping as the power was finally spent.

The other knights kept firing, utterly undeterred at the loss of their fallen comrades. The blaster fire seemed never-ending, pelting every part of the slug as the monster tried to defend itself. It's tentacles whipped out, striking and breaking another two knights.

One of the knights abandoned its blaster, jumping on the tentacle with a knife in hand. It slammed the blade through the flesh and with a single pull, tore the limb free from the body. The slug roared with nothing but pain and anguish.

The knight's victory was short-lived. The other tentacle shot out, batting the knight into the wall as the main body got close enough to chomp down on another knight, and smashing its head into another two that were close by.

The remaining three took up a firing position, their blasters aiming directly at its head. They pulled their triggers, and three bolts of red blaster fire slammed straight into the monster's head. It jerked back, and then it fell forward, breaking the ground beneath it as it finally stopped.

After it was done, Han felt himself take a deep breath.

And smile.

Guess he really did still have some of that old luck after all.

He turned to the three knights. They didn't seem to notice him, looking at the door with the utmost concern. They walked toward it and each of them stopped in front of a different hole that Han saw earlier.

" _Position compromised._ " it droned.

" _Initiating emergency revival._ " Another confirmed.

 _"Carbonite thawing sequence, initiated."_

They knelt and tossing their weapons to the side, placing a single hand inside the holes. Han caught the sight of sparks on their wrists. Machines wired to light, illuminating the small cavern with sparking broken lights. Blue energy flowed from each of the knights towards the door. The second that it touched, Han heard something click open.

The knight in the centre snapped its head to attention. There was a spark of static, and then, someone else spoke through the knight.

 _"A man can have anything if he is willing to sacrifice._

 _With your birth, comes a solemn vow._

 _You will have nothing, your privilege is the dirt._

 _In the darkness, only ambition will guide you._

 _The oaths you swear, the promises you make,_

 _They are yours, alone._

 _Your freedom, will be wars you wage._

 _Your birthright, the losses you suffer._

 _Your entitlement, the pain you endure._

 _And when darkness finds you, you will face it, alone."_

With the last intonation, the knights slumped forward, their power spent. Han rose to his feet and in front of him, he saw the door begin to open, and bright blue light pour on through.


	4. Chapter 4

It was dark. That was what he knew. And he dreamed over and over.

The fields of wheat outside the capital where they dreamed and played.

The swamps where he and his siblings fled and experienced true freedom for a time.

The arena where they trained under the watch of his father's eyes, never recieving a word of praise.

Counseling their little sister, being the light in her life along with their mother.

Shunning his mother away.

Becoming strong. Powerful. Felling both light and dark.

Visiting her on Nathema as he saw her wither day by day, becoming something more twisted and yet still open to him

Realizing how far his brother has come.

Seeing his brother's rage and trying to stop it.

And pain.

And then the regret he saw in his eye, and holding onto his arm before the dark returned.

And he felt... a presence, sink into him. Like fog washing over him. He couldn't discern but it felt...familiar. It gave him power. Life...but he was weak.

And he remained in the dark.

Thexan gasped, shuddering for air as he gazed up at the stairs. He stood up, panting and staggering to his feet. He looked around and... this was the fields...

"Where..." He looked around, witnessing that the fields of wheat dropped off into an abyss of the cosmos, and it lead to the training ground. Thexan walked, a hand over his stomach as he felt the sting. The wound.

Arcann...

The bald man walked through the fields and into the arena, hearing the sounds and grunts of their training. Memories. He looked around, seeing the wisps of dust being kicked up but with no one present. Like a ghost was fighting other spirits.

"Is this... the afterlife?" He said aloud, walking again as he noticed a crack in the wall. Following it and wlaking through the fissure, he came upon two rooms on varying sides. One was a darkened workshop, and the two faint glows of golden Adegan Crystals shimmering on the bench. On the other, a child's room and he could hear the faint sound of playful laughter. It made Thexan smile in nostalgia.

These were his memories. Of that time with Arcann where they built their first Lightsabers together. Of the many times they helped calm and soothe their younger sister. To be fair, Arcann didn't do the best of jobs counseling Vaylin. She always seemed to be relaxed and happy in Thexan's arms.

He heard footsteps and perked up, hand going to his belt in reflex to pull out his own lightsaber, but he grasped at nothing. Breathing, Thexan progressed further into this new dream, alert and cautious. And soon he stepped onto a quagmire.

A quagmire of battlefields on many worlds. Downed bulbous Republic Cruisers and arrowhead Imperial Dreadnaughts smoking in the cosmos as still fighters on both sides hung in the abyss. Corpses of Troopers and Jedi Knights on one side, and numerous Sith on the other in their black robes and armor. This field seemed to span forever. He can hear the wind carry the sounds of battle. Blaster fire. Turbolasers. Screams and yells.

And an open clearing on Korriban, their last battle before returning to Zakuul. He can recognize it. He will never forget the day his brother was maimed by the Sith.

If only those Sith Lords of the Dark Council didn't distract him... He could have protected him. Arcann should never broke away from the battalion and-

Footsteps again. Thexan whipped around, glaring but finding nothing.

Only he could hear the faint sounds of battle, and his own breathing.

He pressed on, walking forward through the battlefield passing the ruined statues and moments of Sith Lords past and towards the pyramid, where the Zakuulian shuttle laid.

(X)

The light dimmed, and Han was able to see some sort of bright blue chamber with golden storange containers inside, brimming with power and energy. The old smuggler had his hand on his blaster ready to blast any other droid that came barging in with a Vibroblade or rifle. Chewie walked in behind him, giving off a growl as Han saw what was in the center of a room, and rising from the smoke. The layout of this room was far brighter and colorful than that room... But there was no mistaking it, confirming what the droid said earlier.

"This is Carbonization chamber..." He muttered as the slab rose and there, within the hunk of carbonite was a frozen man in a gown, bald and sleeping what with his eyes closed. Han felt a chill in his gut as he felt a cold nostalgic feeling wash over him.

Then the slab began to turn red, and Han remembered the droid saying something but thawing. So the droids were protecting whoever was sleeping here...

He raised his blaster, steadying his breathing as the slab heated up more and more. Chewie was beside him, but he lowered his bowcaster to hip level.

(X)

Thexan walked through the shuttle, and found himself in the Eternal Throne Room. Overlooking the majesty of his home Zakuul. He looked to the sides, seeing how time remained frozen as he walked towards the throne, noticing his father was standing there, facing away and out into the cosmos.

"Father?" He called out, hoping something can respond to him.

Then the throne room began to fade like sand before a gale, disappearing as Thexan noticed the dream collapsing. He ran forward, hand reaching out to get to his father, and as Valkorian turned, his face was already disappeared into ash. And he heard the sound of a lightsaber activating.

From the sandstorm of the fallen throne room, Arcann roared, swinging his saber as Thexan rose his arms to defend himself.

And he felt pain as he fell forward, face hitting metal as he opened his eyes, gasping for air like a Nabooin Trout on land. He felt weaker, something light on his skin and not the custom royal tunic of his status as Prince. Thexan couldn't see anything. He was blind, in the darkness, fumbling around.

"Father... Brother... Where are-" Thexan coughed, weak as he was on the floor. He felt footsteps and perked up, eyes unsure of what he was seeing.

"Chewie wait!" Called out a voice and Thexan felt something large kneel down beside him and cradle him up against something shaggy, moist, and furry. Thexan panicked, looking up.

And heard the telltale growl of a wookie. Thexan breathed hard, chest heaving and rising with each breath. He tried to reach out to the Force, but found his connection weak.

He heard soft barks, looking in the direction of the wookie. From what he can tell from his lessons in Shyriiwook, the wookie was telling him to calm down.

"W-Who are you..." Thexan stammered, feeling cold and exhasuted. He heard another pair of footsteps, his head holting in the direction of the other voice, one clearly in Basic.

"Okay, easy, easy!" ordered Han. "Just relax. You're okay."

Chewbacca whined and growled at him.

"Yeah, I know what hibernation sickness looks like, fuzzball!" Han snapped back, the tension getting the better of him. "I was there, or did you forget?"

He would not soon forget his own carbon-freezing, back on Bespin at the hands of no less a personage than Darth Vader. That brief, terrible agony, then an instant later lying slumped on the floor of Jabba's palace, blind and shivering, that croaking Ubese voice leading him gently to consciousness.

That croaking Ubese, who turned out to be Leia Organa.

Leia...

Han shook the memories away. Now wasn't the time. Instead he looked down, fixing his attention on the now-defrosted man.

A young man, quite tall, with a fighter's well-developed muscles and lean frame, his hair shaven down to a thick brown fuzz. Han would have been wary of him, had he not been lying shivering in Chewbacca's arms, helpless as a child.

As he had been.

"Just relax, take it easy," Han said, in what he hoped was a suitably calming tone. "Hibernation sickness. It'll wear off in a day or so."

"Who...are...you?"

The young man spoke in Basic, but Han found he couldn't place the accent.

"Uh, okay..." he paused, wondering how much he dared reveal. He had too many enemies already without accidentally making another one. Caution was probably justified.

"I'm...Han, and this is Chewie." Chewbacca gave him a friendly grunt, and patted his shaven head with a furry hand.

"Where...is...this?"

"This?" Han glanced around, looking for something to identify that strange, dark place. "Uh, you're on some place in the jungle, on Zakuul."

The man paused, seeming to master himself for a moment. He evidently recognized the name, which was _something_ at least.

"How...long?"

"How long? Oh boy."

Han didn't have a clue. He was no archaeologist, no linguist. He couldn't make sense of the chamber around him, of the strange machinery that filled it. The last time he'd done anything like that was on Dellalt, and that had led to him being chased by a bunch of twenty-five-thousand-year-old war droids, and finding a treasure chamber full of worthless junk.

Some things never changed.

"Listen...I don't know how long you've been here," he said. Honesty was probably for the best. "We just found you in carbon freeze, and you defrosted."

"Where is...the Emperor? Where is…Vaylin? Arcann?"

Chewbacca gave him a warning look. Han sighed. This was getting worse and worse.

"The Emperor is dead," he said, hoping to any deity in a generous mood that he wasn't making a big mistake. "I don't know about those other guys."

"Dead?" The youth blinked unseeing eyes at him.

"Yes, dead. Blown to kingdom come over the moon of Endor, and the Empire went down with him, or pretty much. He's been gone...thirty years now."

"Dead? No...impossible..."

"I saw it happen. I was on Endor when it happened. The Death Star went up like a new-born sun."

He didn't mind remembering _that_ sight at least. Standing on the soil of the Endor moon, the brilliant flash in the daylight sky, the hovering cloud of super-hot gas and vapourising debris, the sound of the Ewoks cheering, the Rebel Alliance commandos staring up at it, some of them weeping with joy and relief.

"Death Star?" The man sounded confused. "What is that?"

"You don't...?" Han was almost lost for words. "Boy, you've been out a while kid." He thought for a moment. "So, what's the last thing you remember?"

The youth did not reply. Han got the strange feeling that he had brought up something unpleasant.

"My brother...killed me," he whispered, a terrible pain in his voice as he raised an arm, almost instinctively to his stomach. It reminded Han of Luke during one of his darker moments...

Or Ben.

"We won," he went on. "The galaxy was ours...the galaxy bowed to Zakuul. But...he attacked me... After he tried to…"

"Wait, wait just a minute..." Han was confused. "Zakuul? The Eternal Empire of Zakuul Zakuul?"

Then it hit him. It fell into place, slowly, like a building about to collapse on top of him. Zakuul, a forgotten backwater covered in ancient ruins, like the cities on Dellalt praising the glory of Xim the Despot, dead for twenty-five millennia. Zakuul, who some said had once ruled the galaxy.

"Who...are you?" Han stared down at the young man, at the living fossil come to life in front of him. Could it really be possible? Was he talking to a millenia-old man?

"I am...Thexan..." whispered the youth.

"Okay, Thexan..." Han forced his mind to clear. He couldn't afford to linger, not if any more of those droids were around. "Listen, we've got to get out of here. There's some droids guarding this place, and they're not exactly friendly. Chewie, can you carry him?"

Chewbacca grunted an affirmative and stood up, carrying Thexan in his arms. Han straightened up, checked his blaster, then led the way out of the chamber.

He hurried his jog when he heard the sound of clanking droid footsteps.

(X)

In the furthest corner of the stars, _he_ sat on his throne.

In his silence, he could feel every ebb and flow that resided within the great ocean of the force. Despite its size, it's majesty, mystery and power, it still allowed even the smallest of sparks to move it. For every action sends a ripple no matter how small. For some, feeling such a reaction was next to impossible.

But for _him_ , it was entirely possible.

So in his meditation, _he_ felt it.

A call, a plea for answers that it could never have. It was there, only for an instant. Just a hair, a fleeting thing but despite all odds, _he_ felt it.

Years of meditation, practice and mastery would never allow for such a dishonor in the face of such potential. After all, not since the great Emperor Sidious graced the universe has such power been seen, power that only _he_ possessed. And with that power, _he_ grasped hold of that fleeting thing.

Even this far from its owner, _he_ could give it life, let it show _him_ everything.

And it was marvelous.

A presence that held the passion found only in the dark, holding the order found only by those who have stood within the light for however brief a time.

Slowly, _he_ felt the emotions well within him. Curiosity, suspicion, and most pleasing of all, anticipation.

This strange feeling, this, _awakening_ , would not be ignored.

 _He_ would not let it be so.

(X)

Big thanks to both Juubi-k and IKnowNothing of Sufficient Velocity in helping me collab on this. Couldn't have done it with them!


	5. Chapter 5

"Okay Chewie, let's get him some food and a bed. I'll prepare some food for him." Han grumbled as they finished setting the shuttle down in the launch bay of the Eravana. After the doors have been shut and the hangar pressurized, they got off and out the ship, Chewie still lugging Thexan on his back.

"I can walk, given guidance." Thexan spoke out.

"I was under carbonite for three years and I was wobbling like a drunk. You've been frozen for three millennia." Han retorted as they walked through the stark hallways of their freighter. They made it to the guest cabin, Han opening it and allowing Chewie to come inside and set the young young on the cot. "I'll get some food, stay here."

Thexan said nothing, but the look on his face was annoyance before he relented and sighed. Being so helpless must have been gnawing at the kid. Han didn't blame him.

But to be safe, he made sure to lock his room from the outside. "We'll be back with some food shortly." Han patted his friend's shoulder. "Go check on our cargo. We fed them before we took off for the planet surface… We don't want them to making much of a fuss."

Chewie nodded and gave off some affirmative growls and walked down the corridor to go to the storage sector where the Rathtars were being held. Han in the meantime went to the kitchen and managed to scrounge up a stew made from Nemoidian spices and various meats. It wasn't Naboo Luxury Cruiser fare, but when one has been frozen in carbonate for years, even simple tasteless gruel from Jabba's Palace was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten.

Still is when he looked back on it.

Minutes passed and he made a nice large bowl for the youth along with a spoon and he returned to the cabin, unlocking it and entering.

Thexan was lying down, eyes looking up at the ceiling blankly. Han couldn't tell much given his blindness, but with some food and rest, it will fade.

"What's on the menu?" Thexan asked with a wry shrug as he sat up, grunting to sit up straight.

"Stew. Some meat and stuff and all that jazz." Han handed the bowl to the bald man who took it, sniffed it and took the spoon that the old smuggler handed to him and took a sip.

He then set the spoon to the side and began to drink the concoction straight from the bowl, slurping away like the hungry man he is.

Han let out a snort. So that was what made Chewie laugh when they were in that cell and they got served scraps.

Thexan paused after chewing some meat and swallowing. "Something funny?"

"Nothing, enjoying it?" He asked with a smirk.

"Best thing I've ever tasted." Thexan muttered before his hand reached out, prodding around for the spoon and going to scoop up the remnants.

"Well I got more, in case you want some." Han heard footsteps and turned, seeing Chewie walk into the room and give off a nod and a couple of grunts.

All accounted for. Good.

"What is on this ship then? And aren't hungry?" Thexan asked, scooping up whats left of the stew and swallowing as much as he possibly could. His Shryiwook is good.

"We're smuggling exotic creatures for a King." Han explained. "Rathtars to be exact." The youth paused, gazing at Han's direction with a raised eyebrow.

"You do know those are incredibly dangerous. You have multiples?"

"Yep. Smuggling them for an old king for a vanity contest." Han sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Rathtars, to show off?" Thexan mused and then scoffed. "That's asking for trouble."

"Don't I know it." Han shrugged. "Here, use this communicator" He placed a comm on the nightstand beside the cott. "Get some rest. When you get some shut eye, you should be okay to move. Then we can get you a bath to clean up."

Thexan remained silent before relaxing in his cott. "Thank you… I'll answer any questions you have when I am…" He yawned, a hand draped over his midsection as he winced. "Able to see your face."

"Don't mention it. Just rest up. Then we can talk as much as we want. Know that for safety reasons we're locking you in here. Use your comm if you need anything." Han said as he stood up, ready to leave.

Thexan nodded. "A wise decision."

"Glad you understand." The old smuggler smirked before closing the door, Chewie following out after him.

"Alright so… Get the ship ready for a jump to Hyperspace, I'm gonna need a shower." Han sighed as he stretched his neck. Chewie let out a growl and shook his head.

"You first? What di-" He cut himself off and sighed. "You did do the heavy lifting. Fine, you go do your grooming." Han placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'll go jump us to the next system. If my memory is right, the Jakku System is the halfway mark between us and the Mol'leaj System."

Chewie barked a little and nodded, sauntering down the hallway to use the restroom to clean up. Han shook his head, he was going to continue smelling swamp for a good hour until Chewie is done washing and drying.

(X)

When sight finally did come back to him, Thexan found himself exactly where he thought he would be. A cot, made for smugglers and thieves and built for such a spartan purpose. An insult to his station, his birthright, but those were little comfort in the face of what it provided. Survivable for what it was, and the blankets warm despite falling apart at the seams.

They kept out the cold, but nothing of the doubts.

For millennia he had slumbered, even repeating it now didn't make it sound any less impossible. Only a few hours ago, he was with his brother before his father. Only a day ago he was fighting for his life. Only a week ago he was among his men, preparing for the final push in a war that many thought impossible to win.

But it wasn't a week ago.

For every minute of memory, the Force had taken a hundred years from him. He couldn't see his face, but the confusion in Han's tone, the confidence in which he spoke to the fall of this other empire made another truth apparent to Thexan.

The Eternal Empire, did no one remember it?

So much time had passed, was the idea of an empire so laughably vague that no one knew which you were talking about?

Preposterous.

All bowed before the might of Zakuul. The Jedi and the Sith were nothing before it, and all other factions were but pawns playing in a game far too big for their understanding. The Republic bent the knee like the simpering bureaucrats they were. The Sith Empire refused to the end, resulting in the destruction of Korriban and their Dark Council.

They won. They brought order to a galaxy mired in discord and conflict. They finally brought peace!

So why…

He repeated those words over and over again, yet, the doubt remained. Which meant only one thing remained.

Answers.

Rolling out of the cot, his legs betrayed him as they hit the ground.

So Prince Thexan, son of the Eternal Emperor and general to the Knights of Zakuul, sprawled on the ground like a drunken fool. At least he was alone and spared the embarrassment of an audience. Pushing against the ground, Thexan felt his arms waver and his knees buckle from the effort but he managed to stand. Grasping at his night stand, he grabbed the communicator.

Looking it over, it was nice to see pragmatism among smugglers hadn't changed.

A quick click of the communicator brought the channel to life.

"Han," Thexan breathed.

"Finally up, kid?" came the garbled reply.

Thexan frowned at the title but didn't let it stop him from asking the important questions.

"Is it possible to review the Holonet? I have a lot to catch up."

"Oh, sure, I'll hand it over in the washroom."

Thexan felt himself frown, it was an unusual location for an information trade.

"Why the washroom?" he asked, a moments curiosity taking over.

"You're still suffering from the carbonation sickness, just cause you're up and walking doesn't mean it's all gone. It'll take the edge of getting things moving again if that helps."

The channel goes dark, leaving Thexan with no other option than to comply. Then again, disobeying wouldn't do him much good given his condition. Taking a step forward was straining, but manageable, given a little effort and some help from leaning against the wall. He took deep breaths, walking forward. Step by step.

Just one foot in front of the other, towards information, towards power, to victory.

The mantra repeated itself over and over in Thexan's head, steeling his resolve and pushing back the growing pain. He barely made it out of the room and down the hallway before the steady stream of sweat completely coated his face.

By the time that he made it into the washroom, Thexan thanked the Force that he didn't need his nose to breath. Throwing off his clothes, he stepped into the first shower, letting the water rush over him.

Oh by the force it was blissful.

A hundred banquets, a thousand victories, none of them compared to the simple pleasure of feeling the pain and tiredness wash down the drain. He slumped down, his back against the metal wall and and grinned.

Thexan didn't know how long he stood like that, but by the time that he stepped out and got dressed again the ache was nothing but a memory. The door slid open, and Han walked in Holo-screen in hand. The old smuggler waved away the steam, giving Thexan a look that he didn't recognize.

He cleared his throat, handing over the screen which Thexan accepted.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I'll be in the cockpit with Chewie if you need something"

He pressed the door open, and Thexan barely had enough time to nod before Han went back to the cockpit. Thexan meanwhile, found himself walking as fast as his legs could take him back to his room.

When he got back, the Prince was sitting on his cot so fast he barely remembered sitting down. All he could focus on was what was in his hands.

Something so basic that even a child would be able to get their hands on it. Now though, it was all he could ask for.

Oh how far he had fallen.

He shook the thought aside, there would be time for that later. Now it was time to learn. After all, there was a thousand years to learn, to remember.

As quickly as he could, he searched for the Eternal Empire. He watched as the Holonet blinked to the available documents. His eyes widened. There was, there was...

Nothing.

He could not believe it. He didn't _want_ to believe it. He had scoured the holonet, searching for something, _anything._

He stared at the screen, as if by doing so he could will it all to be not true, a mistake

Zakuul was nothing. Forgotten. A mere footnote in history, a bizarre twist that didn't seem to quite fit the flow of event.

He had gone through the history files, a thousand times it seemed. He had been surprised to see the ancient Rakata get so little mention. They had invented the hyperdrive, built an entire science around the Force, and built a galaxy-spanning empire of Force-rich worlds. His tutors had told him about them, and he had seen their ruins, their artifacts. Yet so many modern sources dismissed them as a myth, or a misunderstanding.

What followed was familiar enough. The early space empires in the Core, squabbling at first, then coming together to form the first of the Old Republics. Some said the Jedi were involved. Then there was the Hutts, and Xim the Despot, and a thousand years later the Tionese War. And then millennia of expansion and contraction.

And then the Hundred-year Darkness, when disagreements over the true nature of the Force, and its uses, had splintered the Jedi. Some, like the Ordu Aspectu, sought to use the Force to change existence itself, to prolong life or alter the inner natures of living beings. But the one everyone remembered was the Sith, a group of Jedi who sought to embrace the Force in it's entirety, rejecting the stale orthodoxy that allowed only the Light Side.

Some accounts blamed the Sith for starting the violence, others the Jedi, some even the Old Republic for a ham-fisted intervention. Either way there was chaos and destruction, until the Sith were finally defeated, and fled into the Stygian Caldera. There they built their own empire, and centuries later came back for revenge; for a time ruling the galaxy of the backs of slaves and dark magic, before the Jedi and their own malice defeated them.

After two thousand years, the story became more familiar. He read of how Exar Kun had rediscovered the extinct Sith traditions, raising armies and fleets in a brief but devastating bid for power. The Republic was fatally weakened, so much so that it could not handle even a resurgence of the Mandalorians. It had taken the so-called Revanchist, and his Jedi and Republic allies to finally stop the violence.

Revanchist. Revan the Revanchist. Darth Revan. All the rest he knew, only too well.

Then Zakuul, a mysterious empire that had erupted from the Unknown Regions to overrun a galaxy exhausted by war.

He had to force himself not to drive his fist into the screen. This wasn't history, this was life, _his_ life! He _remembered_ the campaigns, the battles, the victories. He remembered Korriban like it was yesterday, and technically it had been!

He remembered all of it, every decision, every swing of his lightsaber, every wound, every death. He remembered the lurch of the dropship as it entered the atmosphere, the flash and crack as dropships were shot down around him. He remembered the electric crackle of blasterfire, the hiss and hum of lightsabers. He remembered the black-armoured imperial troopers, dying by their thousands in unquestioning obedience. He remembered the Sith, red lightsabers aglow, Lords and Masters, warriors and inquisitors, even academy students pressed into desperate service.

All of it just a story. All of it just words on a page, mere minutiae, of interest to no one but antiquarians.

And all of it for nothing. All his suffering, all his sacrifice, for an Empire that vanished within a few years of his death. Ruined by his own siblings, as the words on the screen laid out. Arcann, his brother, remembered as a paranoid tyrant. Vaylin, his sister, recorded for all time as a bloodthirsty lunatic, a burner of worlds.

Everything their father had built, everything he had helped tho expand and strengthen, destroyed by them in a matter of years.

He slumped in his seat, his anger replaced by a strange, almost existential weariness. What had it all been for? Why had he been born? For what purpose had he lived, learned, killed and destroyed?

Why was he still alive?

He glanced at the screen, and found it in himself to chuckle. At least those Sith fools had not prospered; not half as much as they had hoped, anyway. Centuries of Cold War had followed Zakuul's fall, and the Sith had fought among themselves. Lord had fought Lord, Emperors had risen and fallen, armies and fleets had been squandered in one pointless squabble after another.

In the end, the only Sith left had been deluded fanatics and petty bigots. As their resources ran dry, and their hold over the Empire weakened, they had been forced to turn to the wider aristocracy in order to maintain their power. Many of them were Force-sensitives themselves, the descendants of minor Sith, yet Sith in name only. The Empire had feudalized itself, it's institutions had crumbled, until all that remained was a handful of insane sorcerers hidden away in the Stygian Caldera; and a mosaic of kingdoms and baronies for whom the Sith were an embarrassing memory.

It was poetic justice, after a fashion.

Thexan brought his hands to his face and took a deep breath, looking at the floor as he took this in.

Everything he has done. Everything his life had been building up to. The training. The pain. The blood, sweat and tears. The lessons. All of it was to bring order to the galaxy.

And now, nothing mattered. The sacrifices he had made, the soldiers he had sent into battle to die. All for nothing.

They had become… a damn footnote!

He let out an exhale, setting down the pad and putting on the spare clothes Han had laid out for him. Old dirty jeans and a red sleeveless shirt. Thexan fought back a snarl. This was not attire fit for a prince…

And yet, he was a Prince of nothing. His world, the people who adored him and whom he fought for in turn is gone. All of this because of him. Because of-

Thexan winced, hand on his stomach as he looked down at the massive scar that cut horizontally. It was healed, but the memory of it… he can feel it throb.

He flexed his arm, remembering how the blinding anger faded into instantaneous regret and despair in Arcann's eyes once Thexan stopped him. The trained and hardened man who he had fought and trained with, his own brother, reverting back to the insecure boy who had only wanted his father's acknowledgment.

Why didn't he see that he had his brother. They were foolish to cut off their mother Senya from their life. Vaylin was taken away and by the time Thexan reestablished a connection, even he can tell there was naught but small fragments of the little sister who loved him remained. He had fought for Zakuul. For Arcann. Not for his father. Thexan let out a sigh and finished getting dressed. He had to move around. He was going stir crazy in here.

He left his cabin, walking down the dingy halls of the freighter, past the hangar and bathing quarters and out to what he assumed was a recreational area, with a round table, some plates and cups strewn about, and a window showing the light-blue hue of hyperspace. One thing caught his eye was a small array of photographs by the sofa. He inspected them, seeing what appeared to be a much younger Han Solo, Chewie, and two other individuals. One a young man with sandy colored hair and a bright smile, full of hope. The other a brunette woman in military fatigues having a beaming smile, their environment that of a massive woodland. By the young man's side was some blue and white astromech droid and a golden protocol droid. They looked far different in this time period, to which Thexan expected as such. Thexan walked into the middle of the room and sat down, crossed legged as he crossed his eyes.

He took deep breaths, focusing as he drew his connection to the Force. He winced, finding… a thread. Was he out for so long, his connection had faded?

It made sense, and it worried Thexan immensely. He reached his hand, remembering the lessons the Sages had taught him.

Reach out… What does he see.

He found the thread, feeling a light flow of the Force surging through him. But… it was nothing like before. Thexan remained calm, as he remembered the code. The Code of a Zakuulian Knight.

There is no Chaos. There is-

He heard footsteps.

"Meditating?" Thexan opened his eyes, biting his inner cheek as he looked back, seeing Han by the door.

"Yes. Trying to clear my head a little. Stretch my legs a bit too."

"Well, you are a guest on this ship." Han shrugged, walking over and opening a small fridge, getting a flask out and taking a swig. "So kid," He looked over his way. "What do you have in mind now?"

Thexan was irked at being called a kid, he was a young man. Sure he was far older but he-

Forget it, no use crying over split milk.

"Wondering what I do now." Thexan pondered outloud as he stood up, crossing his arms as he gazed at the flickering blue lights. "I used to be a Prince of Zakuul, leader of armies… and now…" It felt like poison in his lips. "I'm a prince of nothing."

Han remained quiet, listening to him as he saw the youth's eyes dart to the floor. He sighed, scratching his head. "Well… I don't much of a crew much anymore." Thexan perked up, looking his way. "Lost some of them capturing the Rathtars, and what few jumped ship not wanting in on this business."

"You're offering me a job?" Thexan asked, eyebrow raised.

"Now look." Han said sternly. "It doesn't pay much. If things point up we can get two square meals a day. And we may, or will…" He grumbled. "Probably meet a lot of people who want my head put on a trophy. Wouldn't be nice to ya either." He added trying to look gruff. "I need… someone who can catch up me and Chewie. We could kill for an extra set of hands around here though. Hell, I'll even give ya cut for the Rathtar job."

"How much?" Thexan didn't really know how to react.

"I don't know. You're gonna help offload those monsters down to King Prana's palace, so it's gonna be minimal, and that's not counting how I'm gonna deduct from your pay to get you new clothes." Han seemed to pile one, almost as if he was trying to prevent Thexan from joining him and the rookie. "Or… if you're not interested, me and Chewie can drop you off at a friend's place. She will know what to do with you. Either way is fine."

The bald man looked to the ground, knowing his circumstance… he's almost akin to being lost in an ocean. He can either take the lifeline now, and live a life of adversity and smuggling. Or take a gamble on whatever Han's friend has in mind.

Still, Han did save his life.

Thexan sighed, looking back into Han's eyes as he walked forward, offering his hand. "You saved my life. I would still be in the dark down on Zakuul. Sleeping for who knows how long. I owe you Han Solo."

Han looked down at the hand then back up, Thexan tracing his eye movement. The scowl then became a light smirk. "Well… I'm assuming that's a yes." He took it, and both men gripped hard and shook on it. "Welcome to the crew."

Thexan couldn't help but offer a small smile back. "Thank you."

"Alright, my stash is limited, and I doubt it's no Coruscantian or Dantooinan wine but." Han went back to the fridge, getting out a glass of liquor and two shot glasses. "Celebratory drink, to welcome our newest crew member."

"Han, if I may ask." Thexan took the glass, filling it with a sample of bourbon as the two man clanked their glasses in a toast and sipped. Thexan held it down, as did Han.

"What's up? And good to see you hold your booze."

"Those photos. Who are they? I can see you and Chewie in there, but who are the other two?" Han's jovial expression changed instantly, and he frowned looking down at his glass before back at the raggedy photo.

"Those two huh?" He asked, offering a sad smile as he walked towards the picture, Thexan following behind him. And Han remained silent, focusing on the center two in the photo. The blonde haired man and the woman.

"Did they… pass away?" Thexan asked, Han jumped up.

"Oh no no, not at all. Well, least… one of them I don't know isn't dead. I know Leia's alive but… not sure on him."

"Leia." Thexan spoke aloud, attaching the name to the face. "She's beautiful." And Han beamed nostalgically.

"Most beautiful girl in the galaxy. And her brother Luke, he was something else entirely. In a good way mind you…" Han toned off, taking a big sigh. "Luke he… he disappeared a ways back. And Leia and I… we…"

"We what?" Those two must have been very close, and he can sense the sadness rolling off of Han in waves, and Thexan almost felt guilty for prying.

Then came roaring and barking, breaking Han from his reverie and making Thexan turn his head. The blue hue of Hyperspace faded, leaving away to the darkness of space once more.

"Chewie? What is it?" Han asked as Chewie ran into the living room, and gruffed and growled.

Something about a… Millennium Falcon?

"My god…" Han muttered, and Thexan has never seen an old man that isn't a force user sprint out of the hall. "Chewie prep the tractor beam!"

"What's going?!" Thexan yelled, running after.

"Wanna make yourself useful, open the hangar doors!"

"What are we reeling in!" Thexan asked, Han turning around, and Thexan can see the biggest smirk on his face.

"Home."

(X)

Finally, got the next one out. And we are finally in Force Awakens territory people!


	6. Chapter 6

Almost done.

The monitor station next to the hangar door was small and crude, but serviceable enough. The screen showed the object as it was drawn into the hangar, while a series of bars showed the air mixture and pressure. All the bars were empty, indicating - as if it were not obvious - that the hangar was depressurized.

Standing at the station, Thexan watched as the icon representing the object slid little by little over the threshold. It was a circle, with what might have been a pair of mandibles extending in one direction, and a small protuberance of some kind to the side of and just behind the right mandible.

A ship of some kind; though not one he had ever seen.

"Is she in?" It was Han, hurrying down the corridor towards him. All the age and weariness seemed to have drained out of him, leaving an energy and sprightliness he had not seen there before. Chewbacca was behind, clutching his bowcaster, eyes glancing from Thexan to the door and back again.

"Coming into land...now," replied Thexan. He felt the slight jolt as the tractor beam deposited the ship on the deck. "Sealing the hatch...the hatch is sealing...sealed and locked."

Another jolt as the hatch closed and locked. Threxan keyed to begin pressurization, keeping his eyes on the air gauges and the hatch.

"Hangar is repressurizing...seal is holding...forty percent...fifty percent...air mix optimal...seventy..."

The gauges filled, and turned green. The hatch also showed green.

"Hangar is locked, sealed, and pressurized..." Thexan went on, standing up from his station.

"Seems like you know your stuff," Han said, giving him a slightly odd look. "You ex-military? Aside from being royalty, I mean?"

"Yes..." Thexan paused a moment. "I...was trained as a soldier and an officer, among other things. This was a simple enough task, once I worked out the controls."

"Yeah, that's the killer," mused Han. "They must've tried to standardize these things a thousand times, but it never works out. Believe me, I lost six months of my life to a committee try to do just that!" He patted Thexan on the back, and the young man looked back, seeing Han offer a small old smile. "Nice."

He sighed, and for a moment Thexan felt the weariness return, and a sense of regret. Loneliness, sadness, a terrible aching regret.

"I recognized the layout of the controls," he went on, hoping a change of subject would distract the older man. "It's somewhat different to how I remember, but the overall layout is similar to Corellian ships from my era."

"Is that so?" Han perked up a little, seeming to weigh up what he had said. "Well you're right. _Eravana_ here's a Balleen class, by none other than the Corellian Engineering Corporation." He sounded very proud, and Thexan could sense a warm glow of nostalgia. "My father used to work for them, back in the day."

He turned his head back towards the door, and drew his blaster.

"We're on," he said, a hard edge to his tone. "Chewie, watch my back. Thexan...uh..." He paused awkwardly, seemingly remembering that Thexan had no weapon. "Just...stay behind Chewie, and if something bad happens, run for it. Hide. Armory is by the cockpit."

Chewbacca chuffed a noise that might have been a laugh.

"Yeah well if we'd found him last month, when we had that gunrunning job, it wouldn't have been a problem now, would it?" retorted Han testily.

He pressed the door control. The door slid open, and Han poked his head around it. A moment later he stepped inside, gesturing for them to follow. Chewbacca did so, and Thexan did likewise, following Han to crouch behind a heavy equipment crate standing a few meters from the door.

The ship sat on the hangar deck before them. Though not exactly like any ship Thexan had ever seen, the shape and layout were distinctly Corellian. An image popped into Thexan's mind as he regarded it; an image of a ship, shown to him when he was a child. One of legend.

 _Ebon Hawk._

"Need to be a little careful," Han said. "If they've found the controls for that underside blaster, we're in for a firefight."

Thexan paused a moment, making sure Han's attention was fixed on the ship, then _reached_. He focused…

Two of them, flickering in the Force like distant stars. Young, nervous, fearful of their lives.

But one of them...something...something not quite right...

"I'll go first," he said. "I can reach the hatch and open it."

"You sure?" Han looked doubtfully at him. "The hatch is on the underside, just over there." He pointed to the starboard docking ring, just behind the off-set cockpit. "If that thing pops out when you start, you'll have a couple of seconds at the most before you're full of plasma."

"I can do it."

Han paused, and Thexan felt the conflict within him; competing feelings warring for dominance. There was fear...no, more than fear, a honed instinct for survival, an instinct keeping him safe behind the crate. But there was something else there too...a feeling of...protectiveness, tinged about with pain and sorrow.

Eventually, Han nodded. Thexan nodded back, and glanced cautiously over the crate. Still no movement, still no signs of life, or reaction. The ship was quite still.

Thexan leapt the crate and sprinted towards the underside hatch. His heart hammered, his legs _ached_ , his mind alive with the thrill of danger.

He reached the hatch. Still no sign of life. He turned back, and saw Han and Chewbacca hurrying towards him. His lungs were burning, and his legs were masses of pain. How _weak_ had he become during his stasis? He closed his eyes and gasped, taking in deep breaths.

"Nicely done kid!" proclaimed Han as they arrived. "Now if you don't mind doing the honors?"

Remembering himself, Thexan tapped the hatch control. With a clunk and hiss of pressure, the ramp came down. Hardly able to contain himself, Han darted up the ramp, Chewbacca close behind. Thexan watched, shrugged, and followed them.

He found the pair of them standing in the curving main corridor a little way along from the hatch. Han was glancing around, a smile on his face, and a warm and happy glow in the Force.

"Chewie..." he said, nodding in satisfaction. "We're home." The old wookie roared his approval. Thexan had never seen a wookie smile or even knew if they could, but the expression on Chewbacca's face was probably the closest thing he would ever see.

The wookie went away, his head on a constant swivel while Han went to a control panel on the side of the hallway. Thexan watched Chewie for a second, the wookie glancing around, only to jerk his head towards Han. The older man smiled as he looked over the controls.

"This is… home?" Thexan inquired.

The smile seemed plastered on Han's face because it only lit up even more.

"Yeah, it's better than-"

The sound of metal clashing against metal cut off whatever story the old smuggler might have started. It was small, nothing more than a mistake, but a mistake was all the three of them needed.

Thexan's head was already looking at the grate by the time that Han managed to fully react, with Chewie's reactions not too far behind. On instinct, Thexan reached once more.

They were there, just under the grate. They still flickered, but the fear was so thick that one could drown themselves within. Chewie lumbered forward, and as he reached down, Thexan held up two fingers. Han's expression instantly morphed. One of curiosity, but also… familiarity? But his blaster and Chewie's bowcaster was primed.

Whatever questions might have come, the Force willed them to wait as the wookie nodded once, gripping the edge of the grate.

Thexan took a step back, he didn't have a weapon after all, and Han had his blaster at his side in the blink of an eye. He was out of danger, but not too far away not to see the occupants. With a casual grunt, the grate came free and Han pointed his blaster down into the smuggling den.

Just as his feelings had shown him, there were two. Or at least, two humans and a spherical droid. A dark skinned young man, and a female in scavengers robes. Both had gas masks over their faces, but they did little to stop the fear shining in their eyes.

Almost as one, both Han and Thexan used that fear. The two of them stepped forward, Han's blaster moving between the three of them without any discrimination while Thexan crossed his arms, glaring. He bore down the full authority of the Eternal Empire with nothing more than a stare. The droid ceased it's insipid beeping as it's processor regarded him. The young woman flinched back for a moment before she managed to contain herself. Impressive, admirable even, considering the weapon trained on her. His eyes went to the other stowaway.

But the man, he was frozen.

A hundred different nightmares flashed through him, and all he had to do was look at Thexan.

"Where are the others?" Han demanded, "Where's the pilot?"

"I'm the pilot," the woman answered.

" _You?_ "

The disbelief was evident to everyone, not that Thexan disagreed. Chewie gave a roar of his own, making the scavenger regard him.

"No it's true, we're the only ones on board."

Years of war and training stopped the surprise from showing, but Thexan couldn't stop his mind from wandering. A scavenger knowing shryiiwook? The thought alone was absurd, but here it was, happening before him. The man's confusion snapped him out of the trace that Thexan's presence put him under, shooting a look at the woman. She gave him an almost comical shrug in response, and the sight of it was enough for Han to roll his eyes.

"Alright that's enough, get out of there."

The two of them disregarded their masks and quickly jumped out of the hole.

"Where did you get this ship?" Han asked.

"Niima outpost."

Han actually blinked at the answer.

"Jakku? That junkyard?"

"Thank you," the man agreed, whispering the assumption to the woman next to him.

She looked almost offended, but Han paid it no mind.

"Told ya we shoud've double checked the western regions."

Chewie grumbled, the wookie equivalent of saying ' _Yeah right,_ ' Thexan assumed. The banter didn't stop Han from rounding back on the two of them.

"Who had it? Ducain?"

"I stole it, from Unkar Plutt. He stole it from the Irving Boys who stole it from Ducain."

Thexan almost chuckled, the woman had all the answers Han needed it seemed. She must have known this Plutt well enough for this man to be a braggart.

Curious.

"Who stole it from me," Han finished, "Well you tell him that Han Solo just stole back the Millennium Falcon, for good."

Han started to make his way towards the cockpit, and as he left, his one declaration lit a spark that Thexan couldn't see coming. The fear and nervousness on the two of them disappeared, to be replaced by a startling realization from the man, and awe from the woman. Her face lit up faster than a lightsaber.

"This is the _Millennium Falcon_? Your _Han Solo_?"

Now, Thexan couldn't stop the confusion from showing, even if it was nothing more than a single eyebrow. The girl spoke with a reverence that was familiar.

His people once cheered his and Arcann's name with that same reverence.

The reverence only deserving of heroes.

While it might have once brought a smile, the disgust on Han's face shown through.

"I _used_ to be," he stressed.

The man seemed to ignore it, the realization finally coming through.

"Han Solo, the rebellion general?"

General?

The woman's head snapped back.

"No the smuggler," she corrected.

"Wasn't he a-"

The words die in his throat as his eyes land on Thexan, the woman blissfully unaware of the fear that began to retake her companion.

"This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in 14 parsecs!"

"12!" Han shouted back.

The woman's smile still hasn't gone away, and for a second Thexan felt another wave of happiness shine through the force.

Only to be snuffed out by a tidal wave of annoyance.

"Hey!" Han shouted, his footsteps clanging against the floor as he made his way back, "Some moof milker put a compressor on the ignition line."

He leveled all of his suspicion on the woman, as did Thexan. Any technician worth his credits would know not to make that kind of mistake, but she was quick to shake her head.

"Unkar Plutt did, I thought it was a mistake too, puts too much-"

"Stress on the hyperdrive," Han and Thexan finish in unison.

He stops, looking at both Thexan and the woman with something resembling approval. He walks over, slapping Thexan on the shoulder.

"I'm liking you more every hour now kid," he whispers.

Thexan nods his thanks, glancing at the two nerf's in the room.

"What about them?"

Han's approval sours into a small scowl.

"Help Chewie throw them into a pod, we'll drop them off at the nearest inhabited planet." He said, staring down another corridor.

Thexan nods once more and Chewie's face morphs into something resembling a frown.

"Wait, no! We need your help!" the woman exclaimed.

"My help?" Han asksed.

"You're not in a position to demand anything from us Mis..."

"Rey," the woman answers indignantly, "And you don't understand this droid has to get to resistance base as soon as possible."

Thexan folded his arms once more. "What could it have that this… Resistance would need?"

"A map to Luke Skywalker," the man bit out.

Han froze like the entire grip of the Force surrounded him. Luke, that was the name of Han's friend if Thexan remembered correctly. Han leaned against the wall of the Falcon, looking older than Thexan had ever seen him. His head dipping low, which only seemed to harden the man's resolve.

"You are the Han Solo that fought with the Rebellion. You knew him."

Han turned, a smile of blissful remembrance taking over. It lasts for a heartbeat as more take its place. Pride, respect, and most of all, gilt.

"Yeah... I knew him...I knew Luke."

The moment's cut short by a clank ringing through the compound.

"Oh don't tell me the Rathtar's got loose," Han grimaced.

He dashed out the door, leaving the remaining occupints no choice but to follow him.

"Wait, what!? Rathtars! Don't tell me you're carrying Rathtar's on this freighter," The man pleaded.

"Then I won't tell you," Thexan said as the group met up with Han in front of one of the security panels.

"I'm hauling Rathtar's," Han answers anyway.

Rey gives Thexan a look, earning a raised eyebrow from the prince.

"I said nothing. He asked for it." The spherical droid gave off several beeps, and Thexan could have sworn he saw the small red light in it's mono-eye roll.

"Oh great, Guavian Death gang, must've tracked us from Zakuul. Kid, you're with me, we need to check on those charges."

Thexan said nothing but grimaced as his legs continued to scream at the prospect of movement. The pain stung, but it was still bearable.

"What's a Rathtar?" Rey asked.

"They're big and they're dangerous," Han answers, leading the growing group down a maintenance corridor.

"Have you ever heard of the Trillion Massacre?" the man asked.

"No," Rey and Thexan breathed.

"Good."

"I've got three of them going to King Prana," Han continued.

The man's eyes bulged out of his sockets.

"Three? How'd you get them on board?"

Han sends a guilty look back at Thexan and Chewie.

"We used to have a bigger crew."

Everyone bar Han all seemed to glance back at Chewie for confirmation. The wookie roared his agreement, and the spherical droid beeped in concern. The group turned another corner, stopping at a three-way intersection. Without a word, Chewie pulled open a grate eerily similar to the one of the Falcon. Thexan cracked a sliver of a smile. Old habits die hard with Han apparently.

"Get below and stay there. Thexan you're with them, make sure they don't try taking the Falcon."

"What about BB-8?" Rey asked.

Han gave the small ball a spare glance.

"Stays with me until I get rid of the gang then you can have him back and be on your way."

"What about the Rathtar's, where are you keeping them?" The man asked.

Thexan glanced around and inclined his head towards the wall.

"There is one right behind you."

As if on cue, a slimy eyeball slammed against the small green tinted glass separating the two of them. The man jumped back, almost tripping into the hole to below. He was close enough for Chewie to reach out and gently lower him into the hold. Thexan gestured to Rey and she climbed in soon after.

"And you?" Thexan asked.

The old smuggler gave wry smile.

"Don't worry, I'll do what I always do."

"And that is?"

Han looked almost hurt.

"What I do best, talk my way out of it."

Chewie roars his disbelief, making Han snap a finger at him.

"Yes I do, every time."

Thexan wasn't convinced. He waited for Chewie to do something, but the wookie simply gestured with his bowcaster down the hole. He didn't like it, leaving Han alone to talk his way out of dealing with a group that had the title of Death gang felt as stupid as giving a Hut the primer to a flag ship.

Nevertheless, he couldn't argue with them.

He went down the hole, wincing as his knees were forced to bare the weight of his body. The grate shut, leaving him alone with Rey and the man. The three of them turned their heads to the sound of a door opening. Footsteps echoed through, with one step managing to ring out greater than all the others.

The gangs.

"Here they come," Rey whispers.

"He knows what he's doing," Thexan consoled.

"Han Solo," A new voice drawled out, "You're a dead man."

…

…

Well wasn't that just a _spectacular_ start.

"Bala-Tik! Welcome abord. Always good to. See an old business associate. What's the problem?" Han spoke out. Bala-Tik did not sound as enthused as Han.

"The problem is we loaned you fifty thousand for this job." Thexan noticed the man craning his head around, trying to hear. "I heard you burrowed fifty thousand from Kanjiklub." And he rolled his eyes. His new employer and the closest thing he has to a friend in this new galaxy… ripped off several dangerous gangsters it seems.

This was going to be special.

"Can you see them?" Rey asked anxiously, Thexan trying to keep an ear on Han trying to dissuade the Guavians and an eye on the stowaways.

"No." They crawled forward, Thexan doing his best not to make any noise. These two clearly were in a rush, and if Thexan were in Bala-Tik's shoes, he would be on the look out for any other crew as well, given the size and scope of the ship.

"They have blasters." Rey stated, the trio now with a good view of the Death Gang in the grates above them.

"All of them?" The man asked.

"They wouldn't be called a Death Gang without any would they?" Thexan remarked.

"We want our money back now." Bala-Tik demanded.

"Hunting Rathtars ain't cheap, I spent that money!" Han defended.

"Kanjiklub wants their investment back too."

"I never made a deal with Kanjiklub!"

"Tell that to Kanjiklub." Bala-Tik retorted to Han. And the sound of doors opened followed by footsteps. and Thexan felt his heart fell, biting his lower lip.

"It's Kanjiklub isn't it?" He asked rhetorically, feeling Rey and the man's eyes on him. He heard Han call out a 'Tasu Leech', saying it was good to see him. And Leech responded back in some language didn't understand, but it didn't sound good.

"It's Kanjiklub." Two gangsters, armed to the teeth, ready to gun down Han. And this day just started so well too.

"Boys! You're both gonna get what I promised you. Have I ever not delivered for you before?" Han sweet talked, and Thexan hoped he had some credit to his name. Rey and the man moved once again, and Thexan followed.

"No." And then Leech speaking some non-affirmative answer.

"Then what was the second time?" Now he sounded like a confused old man, and it took all of Thexan's will not to let out a frustrated groan.

"Where are you going?" Thexan asked sternly. He can feel the man tense up in nervousness, while Rey continued on.

"Every ship has a motherboard that has access to door functions. I'm trying to find it." Rey whispered back. "You've been on this ship right? You his first mate?"

Thexan paused. "Well… Chewbacca is the co-pilot, and I'm a First mate, yes."

"Then do you know where it is?" She asked, looking hopeful and turning to face him. Thexan looked back directly into her eyes, opening his mouth.

"I… I just started this job…"

"Yes…?" The man asked.

"About… twelve hours ago." And Rey's face deflated like a popped balloon, and the man bit his lip. "And over half of that was spent sleeping."

"Are you serious?!" The man bit out. "You gotta be kidding me…" The continued scooting forward, Thexan feeling offended and glaring.

"Don't look at me," He felt the man tense up again at his words. "I just started this job and-"

"That BB unit." Bala-Tik spoke out. "The First Order is looking for one just like it. And two fugitives." And Rey and the man stopped.

First Order? What is that?

"First I've heard of it." Han stated, and Leech spoke out with footsteps sounding out. They were searching the ship. To their luck, they finally found a control panel and Rey got up next to one.

"If this is a flow panel for this corridor, I might be able to manually disrupt the programming. That would trip the emergency sequence and drop all the blast doors in this section. We can trip both gangs!" Rey said excitedly as she began to inspect the wires.

"Shut the blast doors from down here? Won't that trap Han and Chewbacca up too?"

"We have the grates." Thexan spoke out. "Right now, we should trap the gangs, and then focus on saving Han. We will cross that bridge when we get to it. You, girl." He spoke out, Rey focusing on the flow panel. "How do you know all of this?"

"Tinkered around." She muttered. "On Star Destroyers… and Mon Cal Cruisers. They all have flow panels." She even gave a shrug. "Even trapped some hostile scavengers with this… I'm an expert. Trust me."

"You know your way around a ship then Scavenger." Thexan mused.

"That's life on Jakku. You either scavenge, find an oasis, or die." Rey muttered as she finished the modifications and pressed… something.

"We're going to take that droid, and you're going to give us our money back." Bala-Tik commanded, and Thexan could hear the sound of them priming their blasters until he heard something click and the lights began to flicker.

In the distance, he heard a roar and Thexan's heart sank.

"Uh oh." Rey said, and two sets of eyes were on her. "Wrong fuses."

"Thank you, Miss Expert." Thexan growled as they heard the gangs prime their blasters.

"Kill them! And take the droid!" And then the roars magnified with the Rathtars now upon them, roaring as both the Gavin Death Gang and Kanjiklub yell out in terror, blasters firing. Thexan followed after the crawling fugitives.

"This was a mistake!" The man called out.

"Huge!"

"Will you both shut up and get moving!" Thexan barked, hearing the Rathtars move about as they can hear more of the sounds of dying gangster up on top. He hoped Han didn't get eaten or blasted. His hand instinvicely went back to his hip, but found no lightsaber there. He cursed mentally.

They finally made it to a hatch and climb out, running.

"What do they look like?" Rey asked as they turned the corner, right into some gangsters being mauled, and eaten by the bulbous, red, scaly and aggressive massive of tentacles of teeth that is a Rather. Rey covered her mouth with her hand in shock.

"Like that." Thexan said, and he and the man yanked her away, with another rathtar barreling down the hall! "And that!"

"This way!" The man shouted as they ran but the man got pulled by one of its tentacles, pulling him away.

"Finn!" Rey yelled in distress as Thexan leapt into action, his hand reaching out. The roaring rather froze and Thexan focused, eyes narrowed as he reached out, deep, into it's mind. And he squeezed.

The beast wasn't pulling the man, named Finn, into it's mouth, more or less wiping the floor with him as it thrashed about, clearly in agony as Thexan took step by step.

"Remember my sons… pain can be a tool." His father spoke, with two Bog rats in cages presented before them, the little critters clawing at them. "A tool to empower you… and a tool to demoralize your enemy."

He remembered alright. Causing pain through its organs wasn't enough. Too slow. So he targeted the one thing he knew best, what he had done to best even the most potent of Sith Lord or Jedi Master.

He targeted their very mind, their brain. And Thexan glared, and the beasts roars turned into cries of agony and pain, with Finn still yelling at being swayed around. He took a step forward, the beast shuffling back as it felt its mind being split in two one moment, then being crushed the next.

To target the brain was hard. It was far more easier to close the wind pipe around a target and make them choke, but to stimulate the brain was another matter entirely. Strangely, the brain wasn't as big on the Rathtar as he once thought.

Turns out it was rather small.

Thexan grunted as he felt his strain on the Force wither, he can't keep this up, so he reached out with both hands, and the beast let go of Finn, howling in agony as Thexan pushed the beast using the Force. The Rathtar rolled away, roaring in pain and fear. He panted, staggering to his feet as he looked back, feeling two sets of wide eyes on him. This was nothing before… His connection with the Force was still weak.

"How did you…" Rey asked. Finn was dead silent, breathing hard. Thexan took in deep breaths, and offered his hand to the dark skinned man.

"Later. Come on. We have to get out here." The roars of Rathtars and blaster fire rung out in the distance, and they did so, Rey and Finn sprinting down the corridor from whence they came, with Thexan following from behind. He feels like he has ran an entire marathon.

While his muscles haven't atrophied, he hasn't honed his body in a while, meaning after Arcann sliced him, he had to be healed in a bed first before being Carbon Frozen. That was the conclusion Thexan came to, and it drove the bald man mad. They followed the sound of blasters and they entered the hangar, seeing Han… with Chewie leaning on him as they got on the ramp leading into the Falcon.

"Han!" Rey yelled, Han pointed back at her.

"Close the door behind us!" He ordered, handing Chewie to Finn. "You take care of Chewie!"

The man took the massive wookie, and brought him over to the side. Thexan came over, supporting Chewie from the other side as he brought him aboard the Falcon. Thexan noticed how… dry and crusty it smelled inside the Corellian freighter, but he didn't care.

"Can you handle him? Chewie?" Thexan said, going on adrenaline at this point. He eyed his arm, seeing blood pour from it.

"I know First Aid." Finn spoke, the two of them breathing heavily as they could hear yelling outside, but Chewie was writhing.

"Me too." Thexan could hear the chip whirring but stalling. He growled as he heard the door close and ran to the cockpit.

"Hey! Don't leave me!" Finn yelled as he tried to find a First Aid kit in the central lounge.

"What's the hold up?" Thexan got into the cockpit, seeing Han and Rey at work flipping switches and buttons.

"Unkar Plutt installed a fuel pump too, if we don't prime that we're not going anywhere."

"I hate that guy." Han muttered, checking on the systems.

"Check the Compressor and fuel lines, if anyone would meddle with a ship's engines its there." Thexan suggested.

"I've owned this ship for decades I know that! Rey, check the fuel lines and Compressor!" Han barked. "And take care of Chewie kid!"

"Don't you need a co-pilot?" Thexan asked.

"I got one, he's back there."

"I can fly this. I did." Rey suggested.

"I can fly too." Thexan added, Han turned around, giving him a look. With Chewie's roar and the sound of a Rathtar plopping itself onto the cockpit windshield startling all three, Thexan nodded.

"I'll leave it to you then."

He ran back as he heard blaster fire outside the ship, and the ship coming to life and movement.

Finn is trying to wrap some bandages and disinfectant, but Chewie is snarling at him as he had his paws around the dark skinned man's throat. "Help." He squeaked, and Thexan ran over to him, staying by Chewie's side.

And the ship roared to life, and Thexan could swear that they… just jumped into hyperspace?! From within the hangar bay?! And they weren't dead?!

Han may be a cheating smuggler, but his gumption and daring along with his skill as a pilot weren't to be questioned.

"Chewbacca. Chewie." Thexan spoke, putting his hands on Chewie as the wooke looked at him dead in the eyes, squirming in pain as he let out an audible growl of distress. "Look at me… this will sting…" He said, getting the disinfectant, and the wookie whimpered but shook his head. "Let me see it… can you turn?" He asked, and the massive beast shuffled, showing the bloody wound on his shoulder. Thexan moved some fur, making Chewie growl in pain.

"I know I know it hurts… trust me. I've gotten my fair share of scars…" He held out a hand, looking at Finn who was rubbing his throat.

"Clothe and disinfectant." He asked, then he widened his eyes, and nudged his head towards Chewie. Finn finally got the message.

"R-Right!" He sprang up, getting the medicine and Thexan took it, watering up the kerchief and dabbing Chewie's arm. He let out a roar.

"I know I know it's gonna sting. But this will be all better okay?" Thexan breathed, feeling Chewbacca's other arm on him, his hands digging into him. "Just like that," he winced. His grip was hard, but he's suffered worse.

He had to stay by his brother's side feeling his hand be cursed when Arcann got battlefield surgery to get back fighting the Empire's Wrath and the Dark Council back in Korriban. After they installed a prosthetic and robotic mask on him, Thexan was able to handle the Dark Council Sith Lords while Arcann dueled the Wrath himself.

And triumphed over her and many Sith Warriors, despite all odds, injured. Maybe that was the first clue of Arcann truly embracing the Dark Side. Using the pain combined with the resentment towards father to further his abilities allowed him to reach a height in power not even Thexan had known possible.

"It's gonna be okay." He continued to clean the wound, then he extended his hand.

"Bandage."

As Finn handed him the bandage, this was the end to a wild day. He had just woken up hours ago too.

"Did you find the Compressor!" Thexan called out, chest heaving as he finished tightening the wrap around Chewie, who had released his grip on his shoulder. He let out a whimper, a sympathetic one given Chewie looked at the red marks on his arm.

"Trying to!" Rey yelled.

"Great, there's an electrical overload!" Han yelled.

"I can fix that!"

"Coolant's leaking!"

Thexan let out an audible groan. "Try bypassing power to the secondary tank!" He yelled.

"That's not working!" Rey replioed. Thexan got up and pointed at Finn.

"Take care of him." He said, sprinting to the cockpit as Han and Rey were frantic to turn off the warning klaxons sound off.

"Can't you remove the Compressor?" He asked, Rey looked up from the engine board.

"I can't it's too engrained!"

"If we remove it now, we're going to be spread out over three systems." Han spoke fast as he did his past to turn off the alarms.

"Then go around it! Bypass…" Suddenly it dawned on him, and the girl too, their eyes widening. He snapped his fingers and she went down below, and removed… something.

And the sirens stop, making Han confused.

"What'd you do?" He asked, looking down at Rey, who beamed.

"I bypassed the compressor." She looked back at Thexan, holding up the gadget and pointing at him. "He suggested it and it... came to me."

"You did the job and finished it through." He panted, gesturing towards her with a hand as the all three of them let out a laugh. They looked at each other, eye to eye and they felt satisfied. And Thexan felt it again, that warmth in the Force he had felt when he sensed her just minutes ago...

What a day this has been. Thexan had spent most of it sleeping, already trapped in carbonite for three millennia.

Yet he already felt so spent and exhausted.

But… they all made it out alive.

* * *

Sorry for the wait here. Took a bit.

Allowed Rey to get a little bit dunked on in GotG fashion with snarking, and a little explanation on her knowing the ins and out of starships(she does look around ruined ships for a living after all).

Hope you all enjoyed!


	7. Chapter 7

He was afraid.

It wasn't something he wanted to admit to, even under these circumstances. He didn't want to admit - not to anyone - that he was still capable of fear; even after everything he and seen and done and felt.

But Kylo Ren was afraid. That he knew he was _right_ to be afraid made it no easier to bear.

The rock-cut hall in which he stood was Starkiller Base's audience chamber. Narrow trenches circled around the dais, their tops level with the catwalk down which Kylo had just advanced. Inside the trenches stood high-backed chairs, at which the First Order's great and good would sit when called together. The generals, the admirals, the vassal planetary rulers; all those who might for some reason gather in this hall of halls, and make obeisance before the Supreme Leader, and hear his will.

His master loomed over him, a nightmare shape seated on a throne of black stone, dark robes hanging about its skeletal form like a burial shroud. Light shone down from behind its head, like moonlight through a hole in a cave wall, casting the wrinkled, scarred horror of its face in unnatural shadows. Those eyes, the left drawn back in shadow above the sunken left cheek, stared down at him.

He knew those eyes. For so many years they had watched him, stared at him, stared _through_ him. Even without this hologram that gave his master the form of some terrible giant, they terrified him in ways few other things could.

He forced himself not to glance at the man standing beside him, staring up at that same face. Of all the people he had to face the Supreme Leader alongside, of all the people he had to undergo this trial with, it just _had_ to be Armitage Hux. It was enough to make him think that maybe the Force had a sense of humour after all.

A particular cruel sense of humour.

"The droid will soon be delivered to the Resistance, leading them to the last Jedi."

The voice, croaking and grinding like stone on stone.

"If Skywalker returns, then new Jedi will rise."

Snoke leaned forward as he spoke, bringing the ruin that was his face into the light. Kylo had never learned from him what had caused those terrible injuries, let alone who or what he had been before; and if anyone in the First Order knew, they were not inclined to tell.

Hux stared up at Snoke, his eyes never wavering. Kylo could feel his resolve, the dreadful fury born of a life of misery and weakness. He knew, in that moment, that Hux was truly not afraid; that if Snoke struck him dead there and then, he would face it without hesitation.

He was indeed a fanatic, so far gone that no life, not even his own, mattered all that much to him. And Kylo Ren _hated_ him for it.

"Supreme Leader," he said, his tone as unwavering as his gaze. "I take full responsibility..."

"General!"

Kylo's blood turned to ice as Snoke stood up, his narrow head blocking the light. When was the last time he had raised his voice? When was the last time he had shown _any_ kind of emotion, besides a mild, sardonic amusement?

Hux's cheek twitched. So he _was_ capable of fear after all.

"Our strategy must now change," Snoke said.

"The weapon," said Hux, his former hauteur restored. "It is ready. I believe the time has come to use it."

Of course he would say that. Of course he would bring _that_ thing up. The Weapon, a weapon like no other, a weapon for which no whimsical name would suffice. The Weapon, for the purpose of which an entire planet had been converted; the work of decades, of millions of labour droids. The Weapon, whose design - it was whispered - had involved ancient and incomprehensible sciences.

Hux did not understand. He would _never_ understand. He could not feel the Force. Indeed, Kylo knew he despised it; a random element his tidy equations could not contain. He had no comprehension of the powers he was meddling with, of forces Kylo Ren himself could not put into words.

He would never understand the cold dread Kylo felt whenever he came anywhere near Starkiller Base; the dread that both entranced and repelled him, and in so doing empowered him.

"We will destroy the government that supports the Resistance, the Republic," Hux went on. "Without their friends to protect them, the Resistance will be vulnerable. They will have no choice but to seek us out, and thus expose themselves."

"Go." Snoke sat down on his throne, waving a hand to dismiss him. He seemed mollified. "Oversee preparations."

"Yes, Supreme Leader."

Hux paused a moment, looking sidelong at Kylo, a triumphant smirk on his face. Then he turned on his heel and strode out, leaving him alone with his master.

The moment the door slid closed behind him, something changed. Something Kylo knew well, but could never put into words. Something in the air, the atmosphere, the _aura_ of the place. It was cold, chilling to his very soul, yet also honest and bracing. It was Snoke's way of say _now he's gone, we can talk_.

"There has been an awakening. Have you felt it?"

He had. A presence, far away, like a sleeper awakening, but only partly awake. A mind, slow-witted and confused, yet with a great and terrible power behind it. A power still slowly, ever so slowly, coming to life.

"Yes."

"And the other?"

Two of them? Kylo felt his heart begin to pound. He had sensed _something_ , but _two_ presences?

Was he so small compared to his master? Were his powers so weak, so unrefined?

"Yes." Snoke's ancient face shifted into what might have been a smirk. "Two of them, emerging at about the same time. Surely not a coincidence."

No. Not a coincidence. With the Force, there was no such thing as coincidence.

As _he_ had once taught him, what seemed like an eternity ago.

"Now you know why we must hurry," Snoke said, his tone reproachful, like a disappointed yet still hopeful father. "Now you know why we must have the droid."

Two of them. Two great presences in the Force, two fires so bright that even Snoke had noticed their light. If they came to Skywalker...

"I will find the droid," insisted Kylo, fighting to channel his growing fear. "I will not fail again."

"I know where the droid is," Snoke went on. "It is on board the _Millenium Falcon_ , in the hands of Han Solo."

That name. That name, of all names. Why, oh why, did it have to be _him_?

"He means nothing to me." A lie, hiding a truth he dared not confront. Snoke's face softened, seeming sympathetic, almost kind, as he had been before, when they had first met.

"Even you, master of the Knights of Ren, have never faced such a test."

"By the grace of your training, I will not be seduced."

Meaningless words. He was starting to sound like Hux. Was that why he spoke the way he did? All clipped phrases and smug ideology? Was that how he concealed that crying child curled up in the depths of his soul? Was that how he kept himself from losing his mind?

"We shall see."

The hologram vanished. And he was alone.

Utterly, utterly alone.

(X)

No matter the being, no matter the age, there was always something about Hyperspace that just seemed to entrance the mind. Energies that sunder cause and effect, beginning and end, hyperspace is a mystery that rivals even the force to the untrained eye.

And even to the trained eye, those mysteries didn't seem to stop.

Thexan knew the base science of the event. A hyperdrive manipulates hypermatter particles in order to thrust a starship into hyperspace, taking full advantage in the wrinkles that such an event causes to real space allowing a ship to 'jump' across the expanse of the galaxy.

He remembered watching with innocence and wonder as his father ordered his ship into the vast expanse.

He remembered dismissing it, as he an Arcann finished their conquest of Balmorra, taking it's factories intact and earning the crew the highest honour.

Now, it brought with it a calmness that he hadn't felt in years.

Three millennia had passed, but no mind had even come close to learning how to catch a ship within hyperspace. For now, they could rest.

Nevertheless, Thexan couldn't stop his eyes from taking watch. He saw as Han looked over his and Finn's work on Chewie, the girl Rey, her eyes still alight with wonder at the very sight of the old smuggler.

But the man Finn, he had yet to move.

All it took was a single glance, and the man would freeze. The two of them had taken a seat at either end of the only couch that the Falcon seemed to offer. Finn tried to distract himself, looking over some of the pieces of junk, a combat remote among them.

"You'll be fine," Han chided the wookie, earning him a grunt and forcing Thexan away from his duties.

"Good job, thanks, both of you."

Thexan simply nodded, Finn didn't even move. Han's eyebrow notched a little higher. He looked to Thexan, but the prince simply shrugged. He gives him a look the prince couldn't place. Almost wistful, but it pained him.

The smuggler coughed, drawing everyone back to reality.

"So," he starts, hand on hip and blaster, "Fugitives, huh?"

Thexan caught Finn flinch at the world, but the girl didn't.

"The First Order wants the map," she explains, "Finn is with the Resistance, I'm just a scavenger."

Han glanced down, and Finn all but squirmed under the attention. He turned, giving Thexan a knowing look. The prince's lips played at a smirk before self-control snuffed it out, but the act was enough to get Han smirking as well.

The man in question at least had enough sense to look warily at the two of them.

Ignoring, Han motioned to the BB unit.

"Let's see what you got?"

Thexan sat up from his seat, and the astro droid rolled back slightly. It nudged Rey's leg, but the scavenger just smiles.

"It's ok, go on."

The droid whined its disapproval, but rolled into the centre of the room and tilted its visor into projection mode. A holographic puzzle piece materialised in the air, expanding in seconds, revealing an entire star system. It was beautiful, in a pure sense, but a single fact stuck out to Thexan more than anything else.

"It's not complete."

Han nods, walking through the hologram and taking stock of the dozens of nameless landmarks.

"It's just a piece, and without the others, it's not worth the trouble."

"The First Order must think differently."

"Not hard to know why," Han grumbles, "People were trying to find Luke even before he went missing. Historians, bounty hunters, you name it, there was someone out there who wanted a piece of him."

"Is that why he left?" Rey asks.

Han slows to a stop, and within the force, his spirit screamed. Frustration, anger, but most of all, sadness and regret.

"He was… training a new generation of Jedi. Then one boy… turned against him and destroyed it all."

Rey looked on in newfound awe, but Thexan couldn't stop himself from gritting his teeth. Even after so long, a Jedi's fall could still anger him so. He quickly silenced those emotions. They were beneath one of his station. A reason to control himself even greater than the respect that Han deserved as the pain screamed ever louder in the force.

"Luke felt responsible," Han continued, "So he did what he could, and no one's heard from him or his other students since."

"Did you know where he went?"

"A lot of rumors," Han admitted, "But the people who knew him best, think he went looking for the first Jedi temple."

The awe in Rey's eyes eclipsed the light of a star. Thexan didn't think she even noticed as she stood back up and slowly made her way closer to Han.  
Once again, his lips play at a smirk, but he didn't stop it.

"The Jedi were real," she breathes.

"As real as you or I," Thexan confirms.

"And that's not all. Magical power keeping balance between good and evil, the dark side and the light. Thought it was all a bunch of mumbo-jumbo but the truth is…"

Finn lurched as he accidentally knocked into the table. The ball began to roll off the edge.

Thexan reached out and it… stopped.

Against all the odds, the artificial gravity and all logic, it floated in the air. Thexan strains, his reach waning, but he didn't let go. Even in a weakened state, so far from his birthright, this would not beat him. The ball shakily rose from the floor and silently few the final feet before dropping in Thexan's waiting hand.

It was easier to lift this up. Meaning he can feel the connection. IT was faint, but not as faint as it once was back on the ship with the Rathtars. The more he used the Force, the sooner his connection and mastery would return.

One would need a lightsaber to cut the silence that followed.

Rey's jaw was on the floor, Finn had broken into a cold sweat that sent him shivering as if he had seen a ghost, and Han…

The smuggler surprise was beyond words. Even Chewie forced himself up to gawk at the event. Han's jaw dropped, he almost smiled, and for a second the force sang in joy at a long forgotten wonder.

Only for it to come crashing down as something darker took hold.

Thexan held his hands up, and slowly placed the ball back on the table while Han stared.

"It's… all… true."

His eyes darted between the ball and Thexan. He came upon Thexan, finger pointed and scowl painted on his face.

"You didn't tell me you were a Jedi."

"You didn't ask." Thexan replied back curtly. "And secondly, I am no Jedi." He saw Han tense up, as did Finn. "I am neither a Sith either." He coldly remarked. "I am a Knight of Zakuul."

"Zakuul? That swamp?" Finn asked incredulously. Thexan turned, giving him a slight glare that made him clam up.

"That *swamp*," He growled. "Was my home."

"You and I," Han crossed his arms. "Are gonna need to talk." The bald man looked up at the elder, eye to eye.

"I've been honest and upfront with you Han. Like I said, you never asked."

"I-" He was about to go on, before the answer finally hit home. Han turned, and Chewie shrugged and let off some soft barks.

"Don't take his side!" Han snipped before coming back onto Thexan, and then sighed, feeling overwhelmed. "Listen, something that… huge… should be pretty damn important to bring up."

"Or not at all, considering how the Jedi were hunted down during the age of the Empire, based from what I read back on freighter." The royal replied. "Apparently they were trying to turn against the Republic."

"All lies set by the Emperor then," Han put his hand to his face. "You've still been under carbon freeze for three thousand years and-"

"Three thousand years?!" Rey said aloud, her eyes upon Thexan in surprise. "I heard people don't last longer than one hundred, at most!" That answer made Han's eyes widened.

"And Hutts can live to a thousand…" Thexan had a feeling something cold iced through the old man's veins. Chewie nodded.

"Wait, what's this about a Hutt?" Finn asked.

"Never mind just…" Han raised his hands. "Right now, we need to think of a plan right now." He pointed at BB-8. "He has the map to Luke, and you're trying to get that map to the Resistance." He looked to Finn next. "What about you, Rey?" He asked, and Thexan turned towards her as well.

"I… I'm here to help Finn and BB-8. Then, I have to get back to Jakku." Finn almost looked ready to throw his hands up in the air in frustration.

"Why does everyone want to go back to that sandbox." He said to himself.

"Really?" Han asked with a quirked eye. "What for?"

Rey turned towards the old man, and Thexan could sense a contradiction inside her. A conflict.

"I need to go back there for someone. They will… find me soon." She said affirmably. "I don't want to be away from there longer than I have to be."

Thexan crossed his arms, hearing the words come from her mouth, yet sensing something different. BB-8 cancelled the hologram map and rolled towards Rey.

"Well… We will get to Takodana in soon. If I were you, get some rest. Thexan," Han turned towards the young man. "In the cockpit with me." Chewie rose up from his spot on the lounge, and Han shook his head. "No, you take it easy. Thexan is our first mate after all." And Thexan followed Han into the cockpit, giving Finn and Rey a look before departing from the concourse.

That girl… he can sense it inside her. Like a sleeping giant. The Force was strong in her. She just didn't know it.

He sat in the co-pilot's seat, inspecting the dusty control panel of the Falcon, but he can feel Han's eyes on him.

"You didn't ask you know."

"I know." Han growled. "But that should have been a tidbit that I may have should have known." Thexan turned towards him.

"If you think I'm going to backstab you Han you got another thing coming." He starred back out into the blue expanse of hyperspace.

"I've encountered Force users before. One of them is one of my dearest friends, that being Luke. The other an old coot who died years ago saving my skin." Han put his hands on his knees. "The last one? A Dark Lord of the Sith who tortured me for a cold minute and then put me in Carbonite for three years. So for my experience is a coin flip at this point. Now," He leaned forward. "Chewie trusts you. But, this new revelation-"

"Is world breaking, I can guess. I'm sorry your experience with those who can master the Force is up to chance. But Han," Thexan sighed. He remembered how Finn called Zakuul a swamp. Not the shining jewel of power of a civilization who brought a rabid galaxy to heel. A galaxy torn in two, made whole by their conquest. His birthright.

All of it, wiped away.

"I have no home now." He turned his head lightly. "I only have you and Chewie. When you offered me that job back on the Eravana, I took it and I plan to stick with it. I'm a Prince…" Thexan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "A prince of nothing." Those words felt like ash on his tongue.

Han remained quiet, sensing the emotions the young man was exuding silently. He let out a sigh, patting him on the shoulder. The motion made Thexan flinch, and turn his head.

"Sorry, just took a minute to absorb all that…" Han spoke lightly before focusing back on controls and checking the systems. "Think you know anything on the systems here?"

"Talk to me on what's what, I can figure it out from-"

"I can help." Thexan and Han turned, seeing Rey standing by the entrance to the cockpit. She had her eyes go from Han to settle on Thexan.

"You wanna help?"

"I know my way around a Corellian freighter or two." She replied with a confident smile.

"Well, if you want to." Thexan shrugged. If this girl, who knows her starships more than he can, can contribute, that can give him time to meditate.

To reconnect with the Force even more.

"Alright, come on here." The young man stood up, walking past the girl, whose gaze was on him as they shuffled past each other. Rey sat in the cockpit and began to go over the panel and controls like a natural.

"If you need a hand." Thexan raised his hand.

"I'll give a holler." Han finished, and the Prince of Zakuul bowed out, walking past the concourse as Chewie rested in the lounge and Finn had his head in his arms on the table. BB-8's head swiveled his way, noticing his presence. Thexan explored behind the Falcon, coming upon a musty old pair of bunks. This will need to be cleaned out.

He sat down, crossed legged on the cold steel floor and closed his eyes.

Breath. Focus.

Reach out.

He can sense the ship, everyone inside it from the Jakkuan Ants, to Finn napping, to Chewie dozing off, and Han… and the bright flame that was Rey.

Inhale. Exhale.

And he tightened his range, focusing on the disheveled moth-eaten sheets and dust…

He can feel the dust particles move and levitate around him as Thexan focused as deep as he could.

And he lost himself to his meditation, to re-establish that connection that has been long lost for three thousand years.

* * *

Here we go. Sorry for the wait people.


	8. Chapter 8

Endless fields, towering monoliths, streaming starships.

He could see them all. He could feel the wind wash over him, hear the cries of joy through the whispers. It was only a piece, but it was paradise.

It was Zakuul, it was home, how it should be.

And a second later, he saw them as well.

Two young princes, swinging sticks like they were lightsabers, away from their retainers after sneaking out. Neither of them seemed to care, blissfully unaware of the punishment such an act of rebellion would bring.

But it was worth it.

Every time, no matter how hard father would push, the moments here he wouldn't trade, not for a trillion star systems.

Though, with every memory, a lesson.

And what a cruel lesson this one was.

Thexan could see them, hear their joy. See his brother, laugh with him again. He was innocent, young, free of the pain that consumed the two of them. In a blink, they were young men, leading their soldiers against those who would dare stand against them.

He pressed his will, and the images stopped. In the center of a battlefield, Arcann stood. Regal, strong, full of potential, the best brother a man could ask for.

It was nothing but a memory, but still, he reached. The height of vanity his teachers once said, to use the force to change what has already happened. Vain, selfish, whatever they would've called him, it was worth it.

Just this once, let him feel what could've been, if only for a moment.

Impossibly, he got closer. His heart pounded in his chest, he could do it.

A little further and-

The image shattered with the sound of clanking metal. Thexan felt the rage rise within, wrapping it in a leash of barely restrained calm as he looked back at the disturbance. The man, Finn, was standing in the doorway, a spare piece of metal aimlessly rolling along the ground. Thexan barely looked at it, freezing it in place, the action only making Finn go as stiff as a board.

"Is there something you wanted, Finn?" Thexan asked, forcing his voice to be as level as possible.

The kind of voice he used to discipline his men, especially when they knew exactly what they did wrong. From the way Finn shrunk into himself, he knew what he did as well.

"I was just-"

"Trying not to be noticed?" Thexan guessed, cutting it off, "You're not exactly living up to the reputation of a Resistance Spy."

Finn flinched, but he hid it well, putting in even more effort by hiding it behind a shrug and crossing his arms.

"Guess that's why I'm so good." He stated with a wide grin.

"That you're so bad at being a spy that no one suspects you?" Thexan said, rising to his feet, brushing off some lose dust. "Forgive me, but I'm beginning to weep for the Resistance's chances."

"Y-You don't know what you're talking about."

Thexan couldn't help but chuckle, at least the man had some spine.

"Oh?" he asked, his tone dripping with mock surprise.

He sat down on the nearest bed, gesturing with his hands.

"What has Finn done that deserves merit?"

The supposed Resistance Hero flinched back as if surprised he was getting the chance to show his accomplishments.

"W-Well…" he stammers, "I…"

Thexan kept his hands to his side and tried his best to look like he hadn't noticed the bead of sweat run down his neck. Finn claps his hands together, a confident smile adorning his features. This should be good.

"I got into a First Order Star Destroyer, by myself," he quickly clarified, "And got out our best pilot."

"A Star Destroyer?" Thexan drawled in false fascination.

"Yes," Finn said, confidently.

"And where is this pilot now?"

The confidence fell, like a deflated balloon. Finn rubbed his arm, specifically his brown and red jacket sleeve.

"H-He didn't make it out of the crash."

Thexan's eyebrow rose a few notched for effect.

"So you got into a First Order Star Destroyer, got a prisoner, and managed to crash land on Jakku, where you promptly lost said pilot and managed to only escape by enlisting the help of a scavenger girl."

The Prince waited for his summary to be disputed, but when nothing came, he rolled his eyes.

"I'll be sure to keep the Resistance in my meditations," he stopped, sending the first meaningful glare at the man, "That is if they're not interrupted."

Finn swallowed, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, be better, or else the Resistance has no chance."

"They'll be fine without me."

Thexan rose an eyebrow and Finn glanced around before leaning forward. Guilt evident all over his face.

"Look the truth is-"

For the second time today, something gets between Finn and his explanation. The two of them perk up at the sound of the roar, a wounded Chewbacca motioning for them to follow him.

"We're here," Thexan extrapolated.

He passed Finn, giving him a knowing look but leaving the 'Spy' to his thoughts. He arrived to the Falcon's cockpit as they pulled out of light speed, and ahead, a bright green jewel of a world appeared, riddled with forests and deltas and rivers. Thexan saw Rey's jaw drop as they flew down to the planet's surface, going through the atmosphere and seeing the wide expanses of forests. She almost looked ready to cry.

"I didn't know there was this much green in the whole galaxy…" Han looked up, eyes softening as he turned towards a confused Thexan.

"What do you mean?" Thexan asked as he took a seat in the passenger side behind Han. Rey perked up and turned towards him.

"I lived on Jakku, a desert world." Rey stated, and Thexan nodded.

"I see…" It made sense. Although he had the advantage of a Prince's education to see many worlds and learn about them. He heard Rey was a Scavenger, living on a desert world, and on her own. He looked her over as her eyes were glued to the passing woodlands below. She was muscular, taut like a spring, but slender. Had a heavy tan and he can still notice some sand in her tunic.

As he heard Finn approach, he notice him staring and Thexan looked back, seeing Finn give an almost defensive and accusatory glance.

Wait…

Did he think of her THAT way?

"Here we are." Han muttered as the Falcon touched down on a landing pad, and Thexan could see a stone structure in the distance that made him wince. So… primitive. And for a castle no less. At least it was on a lake to provide for picturesque view. Rey got up immediately, giddy like a child while BB-8 chirped and rolled behind her. Han followed, going to a storage compartment and rummaging through it as Chewie shut down the ship, Finn and Thexan following behind the old smuggler. Finn was oozing concern and anxiety as he approached Han, Thexan behind him.

"Hey, Solo, I'm not sure what we're walking into here-"

"D'you just call me 'Solo'?" Finn corrected himself before Han's quirked eyebrow as he looked back, and his eyes settled on Thexan. The bald man shrugged.

"Sorry. Han- Mr. Solo. You should know, I'm a big deal in the Resistance." Thexan could see Han resist the urge to roll his eyes and gave him a nod. First he was going to confess his obvious lie, now he's just doubling down? "Which puts a real target on my back. Are there any conspirators here? First Order sympathizers?" He sounded like he was scared of his own shadow. It's as if there was two people speaking from one body.

Han knew it in his eyes, Thexan can tell.

"Listen big deal, you've got another problem." He gave a sway smirk. "Women always figure out the truth." And he handed him a blaster rifle. "Always." And made a gesture to Thexan to follow, and the Zakuulian did so, walking past the petrified man.

Takodana was beautiful in every sense. Blue skies with plenty of cloud cover. Pleasant weather. Serene breeze. And the green forest riddled mountains in every direction as they walked up to Rey, who was still entranced of it all. Han walked to her side, handing her a blaster pistol. "You might need this."

"I think I can handle myself."

Han smirked at her. "I know you do. That's why I'm giving it to you. Take it." The girl took the weapon, aiming it around.

"You know how to fire it?" Thexan asked. His blaster experience was… minimal. He has relied on his lightsaber and the Force for so long he never bothered. But, no lightsaber, and his connection with the Force, while getting stronger, was still weak. From what he saw in the compartment, there was no left over blasters. He will need to improvise if there was trouble.

"Easy. Pull the trigger." Rey answered with her shadow target shooting.

"There's a little bit more to it than that. So," Han looked at the girl and took a deep breath. "Rey. I've been thinkin' about bringing on some more crew. A second mate. Someone to help Thexan." Thexan's eyes rose as he stood from the other side of Han, seeing Rey's eyes light up. This act of kindness was foreign to her. And… Thexan could relate. He was a Prince. He had little if any time to make friends. What few comrades he did make were military officers he commanded. His tutors were all business. Then again, they were sent by order of his Father. "Someone who can keep up with Chewie, Thexan, and me, appreciates the Falcon." The brown haired girl let out a laugh of surprise.

"Are you offering me a job?" Han then scowled.

"I wouldn't be nice to you. Doesn't pay much." Thexan felt a smile tug at his lips. Those were similar words sent his way when Han offered him the job.

"You're offering me a job." She beamed, and Han rolled his eyes.

"I'm thinking about it." Han realized Thexan was behind him, saw his smirk and made a gesture and expression of 'Quit it'. Thexan coughed into his hand, looking stoic. Rey looked overjoyed, and Thexan could sense it within her. The building of hope. Of approval. Yet… Something was tugging at her. And she looked to the ground.

"Well?" Han asked, and Thexan could feel it. She wants to yes. But there was a line she could not cross.

"If you were, I'd be flattered. But I have to get home." Han almost fell over, looking at her as if she had grown an extra head.

"Jakku?" Rey looked off, sighing.

"I've already been away too long." Thexan could sense the apprehension in her voice.

"From what? Why?" He asked, stepping forward. "You have a better knowledge of starships than I do." The bald man asked as Rey turned his way.

"My family. They are going to come back for me. I don't want to keep them waiting." She said with melancholy in her voice, and the man can sense how she was lying to herself. Hanging onto hope that she must have had for some time.

"Your family? Did they leave you on that desert world?" Thexan asked.

"For a reason." Rey said defensively. "They'll come for me. I'm… their daughter after all."

"How long have you been waiting then? For your parents?" The girl looked away, almost in defiance.

"A while."

"Do you kno-"

"A while!" Rey barked back, torn between anger and sorrow, and Thexan dropped it. But he can feel the pit growing inside her. It was obvious.

Han was quiet, observing the two as he heard Finn coming from the ship to join them. "Come on. Let's get to Maz. She will know how to help you two." He led the way, and the group followed the old man on the path leading towards the outpost.

"Solo, why are we here again?" Finn asked in curiosity.

"To get your droid on a clean ship." Rey perked up in confusion.

"Clean?" Thexan gazed past a droid that waddled past, and he began to take in the many different flags and banners that hung around every possible open space within Maz's residence. Even a statue of some individual with goggles and a cape with arms out stretched loomed over them.

"Do you think it was luck that Chewie and I found the Falcon?" Han growled as they began to walk inside. "If we can find it on our scanners, the First Order's not far behind. Want to get BB-8 to the Resistance? Maz Kanata is our best bet."

"I trust you know her?" Thexan asked.

"She and I are… friends." Chewie gave off an approving bark and Han gave him a curious look. "She's run this watering hole for a thousand years." Han said with certainty. Over a thousand years?! Thexan eyes lit up. If she is this old, she may have answers! More answers on what became of his home. "Maz is a bit of an acquired taste, so let me do the talking. And whatever you do, don't stare…"

"At what..?" Rey and Finn asked in conjunction.

"Any of it." Han stated, ready to open the door before a hand reached to stall him. Han looked back, seeing Thexan.

"Are you sure?" He asked. Han almost looked incredulous.

"Yeah!" The old smuggler saw Thexan look as stoic as can be. "I have this under control."

"You sure we won't get shot? You said similar back above Jakku when we picked these two up."

"Maz… isn't like that." The old man rolled his eyes. "Look, we'll be fine. No one's gonna notice us. We're just gonna go in, talk to her, and be on our way." He opened the door, and the music and hubbub of the outpost. Smugglers, pirates, gamblers all of all species mingles with each other, scheming, and gaming and arguing. Thexan noticed how the entire bar hall was in some organized state of chaos with droids serving drinks and refreshments as the group walked inside.

"Han Solo!" Yelled a voice, and everyone stopped, turning to look. The music stopped, and Thexan could see some individuals put a hand on their hip-holstered blasters. He turned towards Han with a look that contained smugness, concern, and a little anger.

The old man wanted to shrink as he saw Thexan's expression, looking back out towards the approaching orange skinned alien. "Oh boy." He waved, smiling awkwardly. "Hey, Maz!"

"Under control?" He asked with gritted teeth.

"Yeah. Under... control."

* * *

And back to hibernation I go. Will continue to work on this bit by bit... and something new maybe on the way too!


End file.
